Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island
by Dozo14
Summary: The Chosen awaken to find themselves marooned on a tropical island with no memory of how they got there. While seperated and with demonic forces hunting them down for sport, they must fight for their survival in a brutal comeback of "Witch Wars".
1. Chapter 1

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

xxx

In a stylish penthouse overlooking the night skyline of San Francisco, a female demon with short black hair teleported onto the spacious terrace in bright red flames. Dressed in a killer red cocktail dress and black stilettos, she entered the penthouse and looked around the modern and classy room with shades of purple and metal. As she grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter, she noticed several large screens all over the room with a burning athame on screen.

"So glad you could make it." A man said.

The demon turned around saw the warlock Bacarra walking up to her, looking quite dashing in his black tuxedo.

"I wouldn't miss it." The demon replied. "Your parties are the talk of the Underworld."

"Well, wait until you see what I have planned tonight." Bacarra said with a grin. "You are just in time, if you will excuse me, I shall get the event started."

Bacarra walked away and headed to the bar, where another warlock was waiting for him. He was young and unshaven, dressed in jeans and a worn-out leather jacket, sticking out like a sore thumb on this important black tie event. The other warlock just took a sip from his beer when Bacarra leaned against the bar and ordered a martini.

"Enjoying yourself, I see." Bacarra remarked in an annoyed tone.

"Boss!" the other warlock said shocked. "I am sorry, I could not find you and I…"

"Stop talking." Bacarra ordered him. "Just tell me that it is done."

"Oh, it's done." The other warlock said with a smile. "The witches took the bait, but there were some complications."

"Please tell me these complications will not ruin my event." Bacarra said as he took a sip from his martini.

"No, no, no." The other warlock quickly said. "They were not alone, you see, there were others. There was this mortal and some teacher from Magic School and their Whitelighter, but they all fell for the trap anyway."

"And you're sure these extra additions will not pose a problem?" Bacarra asked.

"They will be taken care of, sir, I promise. They will not interfere with the end result." The warlock said.

"Good, perhaps they will even add to the entertainment, bigger risks grant bigger rewards after all." Bacarra said casually. "Now get the hell out of here, your presence is a distain to his party."

"Sorry, I couldn't find a tux." The warlock replied.

"Get out!" Bacarra snapped at him in a furious tone, at which the other warlock quickly disappeared in a blink of the eye.

"Nice party." A familiar voice sounded.

Bacarra turned around and saw Klea standing at the bar behind him. She was dressed in a beautiful silvery white dress with a plunging neckline and wore large diamonds in her necklace and earrings. She looked quite stunning and eye-catching, which he did not expect from the stealthy demon.

"Klea." Bacarra said in a fake friendly tone. 'How lovely of you to join us. I don't remember inviting you."

"I might not have a seat at the table yet, Bacarra." Klea remarked. "But I do have an interest in the success of this Brotherhood. The other members sent me to keep an eye on you, seeing as what happened to the others."

"You don't need to check up on me, dear." Bacarra said. "Unlike the others, I am loyal and committed to our little club and our endgame."

"My mother always told me never to trust a warlock." Klea replied with a half-smile. "I will be keeping an eye on you. Meanwhile, your guests are getting impatient, so I suggest you get started."

Bacarra looked over his shoulder at the party, but when he looked back, Klea had already disappeared into the crowd. He had to admit she was quite good at what she did. He looked on his watch and corrected his collar, it was time to get started. He took one last sip of his martini and walked over to a small elevation in front of one of the screens.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen." Bacarra said, and his magic allowed his voice to be enhanced and reach the entire room. The crowd feel silent. "I would like to thank you all for coming and I am quite sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the night we have in store for you. After all, tonight will be the night that any of you will be given the opportunity to see the Chosen die on live TV."

A gush went through the crowd and several demons and other evil beings started to whisper. By now, all had heard about the Chosen, the witches who had taken over for the legendary Charmed Ones, and they all wanted them dead.

"But that is not all." Bacarra added. "Because tonight, all of you will be given the opportunity to bet on their lives and more importantly their deaths, with the grand prize being their collective magical powers and of course, the glory of victory. We will accept all bets, whether it is powers, souls or mortal investments. Tonight, anything goes."

"So what is this all about?" The demon in the red dress asked.

"Let me tell you." Bacarra said with a smile. "Several years ago, two of my kind introduced the demonic world to reality TV with Witch Wars, a contest where demons would compete to kill witches and gain rewards. While the old show was aimed at the lower class of demons, this new revival will up the class, the excitement and of course, the reward. With a new setting, new enemies and new plot twists, I am proud to introduce you to Witch Wars: Survivor Island."

Several demons clapped and became excited, while others remained somewhat unimpressed. Despite his slight annoyance, Bacarra kept smiling and knew they would be convinced when saw the show. He signalled his crew and stepped aside as the screens came to life. The flaming athame started swirling until the entire screen was covered in flames, after which a beautiful tropical island came into view. Showtime, Bacarra thought to himself with hidden excitement.

Xxx

Billie Jenkins found herself in a beautiful dream that she did not want to wake up from. She felt the warm sun shine on her skin and the sand underneath her, with the sounds of waves gently washing up to the beach. All that was missing was a sexy hunk delivering her a cocktail and giving her a nice massage with sunscreen. When a shadow appeared above her blocking the sun, she figured her hunk had arrived. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at a dark-skinned demon with a leather hood covering his face.

Billie instantly rolled over and flung her arm, sending the demon flying into some rocks. Billie looked around and discovered she actually was on a tropical beach, so it was not a dream. Instead it was a very realistic nightmare.

"You ruined my fantasy." Billie remarked as the demon crawled up. "Who or what are you and where the hell am I?"

The demon did not respond and merely growled, so Billie wondered if it even could talk. It raised its hand and summoned a fire ball, which it threw at Billie. She quickly raised her hand and deviated it, sending it back at the demon and vanquishing it. However, as it turned two dust, two more appeared in a shimmer.

"Oh crap." Billie said.

Billie flung her arm and sent both demons flying. She then turned and started to run off the beach and into the thick tropical jungle before her. She ran for a few minutes and then stopped and hid behind a rock. She heard the demons coming after her, but they did not see her and they ran past. Billie let out a sigh of relief and realized she needed to figure out what was going on. She was trapped in some crazy jungle with demons after her. She looked down and noticed she was not wearing her own clothes. Instead, she was dressed in a blue tank top and dark brown shorts, along with ugly yet practical boots. She needed to figure out what was going on, but she could not remember where she had been last. Then suddenly, she remembered something

_They were walking down a dark alley, Violet, Duncan and Billie herself. They were being careful and checking out everything._

"_Are you sure it was seen here?" Billie asked._

"_This is where the scrying crystal pointed at." Duncan replied. "Also, that blood back there definitely seems like a clue."_

"_Good point, so what is this thing exactly?" Billie asked._

Before there was an answer, her mind went black again and the memory was gone. So they were chasing something and there was blood, so there had to be an innocent hurt. Perhaps it had been some kind of demon or something. Either way, Violet and Duncan were there, so it was possible they were trapped in this weird place as well. She needed to figure out where she was exactly.

Billie jumped up and levitated into the air. Her levitation was still a little shaky, but she had been practicing and she was getting better at controlling it. She rose into the air and passed the top of the trees, she had never been this high before. As her view was clear, she looked around and saw she was on some kind of tropical island. It was covered in jungle with a few small mountains, though it was surrounded by endless sea on all sides. Afraid of being spotted, she quickly levitated down again and landed on the floor. Part of her wanted to call Mikelle to orb her out of here, but she did not know if it would work and it could lead the demons straight to her.

"Mikelle." Billie whispered. "Mikelle, can you hear me?"

Billie waited, but nothing happened. Either Mikelle could not hear her or she was unable to sense her location. Either way, Billie was on her own on this island that could be filled with demons. She needed a plan. She needed to find the others. Billie stood up and started walking across the jungle as quietly as possible. However, she accidentally stepped on a twig that snapped, which seemed to echo through the jungle.

A few seconds later, the demons from before stormed through the bushes and Billie started running. Since killing them would only cause more to appear, she figured she'd best avoid them for now. As she ran, she looked over her shoulder and saw she was outrunning them, but then she tripped over a root and fell in the dirt.

Billie spun around and saw the demons charging at her with Fire Balls in their hands. Suddenly one of them screamed out and the Fire Ball disappeared as it fell to the ground. Before the other knew what happened, he was struck across the face with a thick wooden club and fell to the ground. Billie looked up and saw Jake Porter standing before her. Suddenly she remembered more from before.

_Billie was running down the dark alley. She crossed a corner and almost bumped into Jake Porter, the witch hunter, who raised his gun at her._

"_What are you doing here?" Jake asked._

"_I could ask you the same thing." Billie replied._

"_So I guess we're after the same thing that has been killing people." Jake concluded as he lowered his gun. _

Billie got up from the dirt and walked over to Jake. He was dressed in similar clothes to hers, a dark blue t-shirt and dark brown pants with boots underneath. He looked hot and sweaty, with a short stubble beard. She noticed his protection ring on his finger as he clutched the wooden club.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"Do you care?" Billie replied. "How did you get here, do you remember anything?"

"I remember hunting something and running into you." Jake said. "Did you have anything to do with this? Some weird magic trick?"

"So you instantly decide to blame me?" Billie asked annoyed. "Just like a Witch Hunter, always jumping to the wrong conclusion. I thought you knew better."

"I am just trying to figure out what is going on." Jake replied. "It's not every day I wake up on a tropical island hunting by demons."

"Yeah, speaking about that, we should get out of here before these two wake up." Billie said pointing at the knocked out demons. "They multiply once you vanquish them."

"I know, they're Swarm Demons." Jake replied. "They're all spawn from the body of their king, the only way to vanquish them permanently is to vanquish the king himself."

"How do you know?" Billie asked.

"I already told you once, I might be born a Witch Hunter, but I hunt other things." Jake replied. "Now let's get moving. Are your friends around here?"

"I don't know." Billie said as they started walking further into the jungle.

"Well, we'd better find out then." Jake replied "Maybe then we can find out what is going on and how to get the hell out here."

Billie let Jake take the lead as they walked through the jungle, allowing him to clear a path through the bushes with his club. As she stared at his back, she wondered if she could trust him. After they had defeated the Wendigo, he had made it perfectly clear he hated magic and did not trust her. Now she was trapped in the jungle with him of all people. She needed to watch her back, even though he had just saved her from the demons, he was still a witch hunter, a potential threat. She just wished he wasn't such a hot potential threat.

Unknown to Billie and Jake, a small metallic sphere hovered in the trees above them with a red light aimed at them, broadcasting them on live TV screens.

xxx

On the other side of the island, Duncan crawled over rocky cliffs at the edge of the sea, with waves crashing into the rocks beneath him. He had no idea how he got there. All he remembered was being in a dark alley to find some evil that had been killing innocents, then he had suddenly woken up on the cliffs of what seemed like a tropical island. He was dressed in a blue shirt and brown shorts that were not his own, and he wondered who had put him here. Meanwhile, Mikelle was not answering his calls and he had no idea if Billie and Violet were around. He was getting pretty tired of waking up in strange places.

After climbing over the cliffs, Duncan finally managed to get onto some solid ground and avoid a potential dive between the rocks. He sighed as he let himself fall on some grass and looked on ahead to see a jungle stretching out before him with a mountain in the distance.

"Just great." Duncan remarked.

When he heard a scream, Duncan flew up and looked around. There was nothing to be seen, but he heard another scream coming from the jungle, someone calling for help. He ran into the jungle and followed the sound and ran through some bushes. He arrived on a clearing and heard Mikelle screaming for help.

Mikelle was in the middle of the clearing, though she was slowly sinking into a pool of mud. She had already sunk in to her waist and was desperately trying to get out, which only seemed to speed up the process. When she noticed, Duncan, she screamed for help.

"Stop moving!" Duncan called out as he made his way around the mud, careful not to sink in as well. "Mikelle, stop moving, you'll only sink in faster."

"Then get me out!" Mikelle called out.

Duncan reached Mikelle and tried to reach for her as held on to a tree, though he could not reach her. Meanwhile, Mikelle was sinking further and the sand had almost reached her chest. Duncan stopped and thought for a moment, he needed a rope, so he closed his eyes and focussed. A thick rope appeared in his hands in an orange glow as he conjured it. He wrapped the rope around the tree and tossed it to Mikelle. When she grabbed on, he pulled with all his might and slowly managed to drag her out of the mud. When she was clear, the rope disappeared and Duncan fell to the ground.

"Thanks." Mikelle said as she sighed.

"No problem." Duncan replied with a faint smile.

"Where the hell are we?" Mikelle asked.

"I have no idea." Duncan replied. "I tried calling you."

"I thought I heard some static." Mikelle replied. "Something is messing with my powers here. I cannot sense anything and I can barely orb before something pulls me back."

"Do you remember anything?" Duncan asked.

"I remember sending you after some kind of demon that was killing innocents." Mikelle replied. "You tracked it to some alley. Then you disappeared, so I orbed there to check it out. Then everything goes dark."

"Do you remember anything else?" Duncan asked. "Any small detail?"

"No, everything is a blank after that." Mikelle said. "I woke up here and I barely took two steps before getting stuck in that mud."

"We need to find the others." Duncan said. "If we're here, I am sure they must be around somewhere."

"Alright, let's get going." Mikelle said.

Duncan helped Mikelle up and she tried to wipe the mud from her body. Duncan noticed she was wearing a similar outfit to his and wondered what was going on. He got the feeling he was trapped in some sick game, and that all of this was a part of something bigger.

Xxx

A flaming athame flew across the screen as the cameras zoomed out of the island and the screen turned black. An amused Bacarra stood up from his seat and stepped onto the stage. The demons present clapped and seemed to be enjoying the show, though it was only just the start and he had not even introduced all the players yet. Things were getting even more excited in a few moments, but it was time to get started.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen." Bacarra announced. "Let's start the games shall we? After a short break, we will introduce the final two players and the threats they will be facing. After that, we can begin with the betting. Who will die first, how will they die and who will the one to end them? Who will be the last one standing? Place your bets and claim the prize."

Bacarra smiled as the demons started whispering among themselves. From across the room, Klea nodded at him as she raised her glass of champagne. This would most certainly prove to be a very entertaining night and when it was over, the Chosen would be no more.

Xxx

A new chapter in the Chosen series has started. Hope you enjoy and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 2

xxx

Violet Morgan screamed as she ran through the jungle. She looked over her shoulder and saw a swarm of demons chasing after her. Large and ugly demons with leather hoods over their faces, that growled inhumanly as they got closer. As she ran through some thick branches, a twig swept across her cheek like a whip and a moment later, she felt a painfully burning cut and blood on her face. She wondered how she ended up in this nightmare.

Before the demons had found her, she had woken up in a patch of grass in the middle of the jungle, wearing clothes that she had never seen before. A blue tank top and brown shorts, not to mention some very ugly boots. Since she could not remember how she got there, she instantly panicked and screamed for the others, which led the demons straight to her. The last thing she remembered was Mikelle sending her and the others after a demon and getting separated in an alley.

Violet saw a fallen tree coming up that blocked the path, however, there was a small space underneath just barely large enough to fit through. She halted for a moment, the demons were right behind her, and so she ran and dove down in the mud to slide under the tree. The demons crashed against the tree and started screaming furiously and throwing fire balls at it. On the other side, Violet got up and continued running, though she had hurt her leg and it hurt. At this rate, the demons would quickly catch her.

As she continued running, she looked over her shoulder once more to see the demons were almost past the tree. When she looked forward, she suddenly saw the ground disappearing. She screamed as she came to halt and balanced on the edge of a cliff, with a waterfall and a wild river down below. Just as she was about to fall, someone grabbed her and pulled her away.

When she looked up, Violet saw Arthur lying in the dirt with her. A huge relief washed over her and she was glad to see him, even though she barely knew him. At least she knew he was good, since he was a teacher at Magic School. His sudden appearance suddenly triggered a lost memory.

_Violet, Billie and Duncan walked across the grand hall of Magic School with Arthur, who was dressed in his magic school robe, his arms filled with books._

"_So were wondering if you could help us identify this demon." Billie said. "It is unlike anything we've ever seen before."_

"_Well, how would I know it?" Arthur asked. "I am a history teacher, not a demon expert."_

"_We figured you might have come across something like this before." Violet replied. "We could really use your help."_

"_Alright." Arthur said after a moment of hesitation. "I will meet you after school where it was last seen. Perhaps I might be able to find out what you're after."_

As the memory ended, Violet felt bad, knowing that the only reason Arthur was here was probably because he was helping them out. Meanwhile, Arthur helped her up and she noticed he was dressed in similar clothes to hers and they were both covered in mud. Then she suddenly realised he had just saved her life.

"Thanks." Violet said with a slight blush.

"You're welcome." Arthur replied with a smile.

"Oh no, the demons!" Violet suddenly called out. "They are right behind me."

She looked back and saw the demons in the distance breaking through the tree and charging at them. They needed to run. Violet grabbed Arthur by the arm and wanted to run, though Arthur stopped her and instead pulled her in close, wrapping an arm around her.

"Stay perfectly still." Arthur whispered.

Arthur waved his hand and the air rippled around them. Before them, an illusion appeared and made the abyss and the river beneath it disappear, replacing it with jungle and solid ground. A fake version of Arthur and herself appeared next to them and started running into the distance. The demons growled as they came closer and ran after the illusions, running right past the real them. When the demons reached the cliff, the illusion suddenly disappeared and the demons fell screaming into the depth. Violet let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Arthur.

"That was amazing." Violet said.

"It's nothing." Arthur replied.

Violet stared at him and felt herself blushing again as he looked back at her with a smile. She suddenly became aware of the arm he had wrapped around her and she felt embarrassed. At the same time, Arthur seemed to realize the same thing and quickly let her go.

"Sorry." Arthur said as she scratched the back of his head.

"It's okay." Violet said awkwardly. "I am sorry you got dragged into all of this. It is our fault you're here. Do you have any idea what is going on?"

"My memory is a bit of a blur." Arthur admitted. "I remember you meeting me at the school and asking me for help. However, when I showed up at the alley, you were all gone. Then everything goes black. Next thing I know, I wake up here and I hear you screaming."

"We have to find the others, they might be in danger." Violet replied.

"I know. I already tried teleporting, but something is holding me back." Arthur said. "You're a psychic, can you get a premonition or something?"

"I'm sorry, I can't control it." Violet replied sadly. "And usually I need to touch something to get a premonition."

"It's okay, then we'll have to find them the old fashioned way." Arthur said. "Any idea how we can cross this river?"

"Not really." Violet replied. "Guess we have to go around it."

"Are you sure you will be able to walk, your leg looks pretty hurt. And you're bleeding." Arthur said as he placed a hand on her cheek to check the cut.

"I'll be fine, it's just a scratch." Violet replied softly.

"It could get infected." Arthur replied. "I took some classes in magical herbs, perhaps I can find something here to treat your cuts."

"Okay." Violet replied.

Violet stood still as Arthur still had his hand on her cheek and checked her cut with his finger. She did not know what to do, so she just stood there and looked at him. He was sweet to be so concerned about her injuries. She had never been so close to him before. When Arthur looked at her, their eyes met and Violet suddenly felt uncomfortable again. She never knew how to act in these situations.

"We should probably get moving." Arthur said as he noticed her awkward stance. "There could be more demons on the way."

"Of course." Violet replied with a nod.

Arthur let go of her face and offered her a hand to help her walk on her painful leg. Together, they made their way away from the cliff and back into the jungle. In the trees above them, a metallic sphere quietly flew after with, with a red light zooming in on their hands holding each other.

Xxx

Across the jungle, Billie was getting tired of walking through the endless bushes. The temperature was tropical and she was sweating and dirty, with her clothes sticking to her body. She was also getting thirsty. Meanwhile, lieutenant witch hunter had declared himself leader of their little expedition was leading them further and further into what seemed like an endless jungle. All they needed was a polar bear and a strange smoke monster and the adventure would be complete.

"Alright enough." Billie eventually called out and stopped. "You are leading us nowhere."

"I am leading us to the centre of the island, so we can find out what is going on!" Jake replied annoyed as he turned around and walked toward her.

"Well, that is a stupid idea." Billie replied. "We should get back to the beach, so we can circle the island and find the others."

"We just got from the beach!" Jake said. "There was nothing there but demons."

"And for all we know here are bigger and badder demons further down." Billie snapped. "You could be leading us to our doom."

"I didn't hear you complaining when I saved your life!" Jake remarked.

Billie and Jake were now standing right across from each other and their faces were only an inch apart, their eyes locked in a furious glare. Neither of them was willing to admit the other was right, but it was more than that. Billie did not know if it was just the tropical heat or something else, but the temperature was definitely rising between them.

"So what do you suggest?" Jake after a moment.

"We need water if we're going to survive." Billie replied. "Demons are not the only threat on this island."

"Agreed." Jake said. "But that still leaves the question which way we should go. Do we push forward or head back?"

"I don't think there is a going back." Billie replied, though she did not know whether she was referring to the island or something else entirely. "Guess we should just push forward."

"And then what?" Jake asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Billie said.

"Alright, after you." Jake remarked sarcastically as he stepped aside and waved his hand.

"Gladly." Billie replied with a glare.

Billie stepped forward and pressed Jake aside a little as she continued her path. She heard Jake following behind her while mumbling to himself in an annoyed tone, even though she could not understand it, she knew he was mocking her. She decided to ignore it and step forward.

"Look out!" Jake suddenly yelled.

Before Billie could take another step, Jake grabbed her arm, but it was too late. Billie set her foot and triggered a trap. A huge net of thick rope sprang up from the ground and lifted them up in the air, letting them dangle from a tree, trapped like rats. Billie cursed herself for falling for such a cliché and was even more annoyed that she was pressed tightly against Jake in the small net. From all around them, the demons with leather masks appeared and Billie realized they were screwed.

Xxx

On another part of the island, Duncan and Mikelle had stopped to take a rest at a stream connected to a small waterfall and a wall of rocks. Duncan stood in the middle of the stream while drinking some of the fresh water. Meanwhile, Mikelle was further down in the stream near the waterfall washing herself and her clothes, since she had been completely covered in mud after almost dying in the muddy quicksand before. In order to give Mikelle some privacy, Duncan looked the other way and sat down on a rock besides the stream. To find the others, they had decided to head to the centre of the island, hoping the others would do the same.

"God, I wish we could find some food." Mikelle said as she sat down next to him.

Duncan turned around thinking Mikelle was done cleaning, though when he looked, he saw she was still in just the brown shorts and a black bra, while her tank top was lying on another rock to dry in the sun.

"Mikelle, what are you doing?" Duncan called out.

"Oh, please. It's not like you care." Mikelle replied. "How else am I going to dry my clothes?"

"It's still a little weird." Duncan said.

"What? I've seen you naked after you turned into a Wendigo." Mikelle replied with a shrug.

"I thought you were not looking." Duncan replied annoyed and a little embarrassed.

"I lied." Mikelle said with a smile.

"We should get moving soon." Duncan said. "We need to find the others and we still have no idea what is going on. We have no idea what is on this island."

"The others can take care of themselves." Mikelle said. "Have a little faith."

"What about Violet? She can't defend herself." Duncan called out.

"She is not as innocent and fragile as you think." Mikelle replied.

"I know that, I mean she has no active powers to defend herself." Duncan said.

"Oh right." Mikelle said. "Then I guess we should go find her."

Mikelle stood up and checked on her tank top, which had dried in the tropical sun. She then put it on and sat back down to put her boots on. Duncan was slightly annoyed at her attitude, sometimes it seemed like she did not even care.

"Sometimes I really don't get you." Duncan said. "How did you even get to be a Whitelighter?"

"I died." Mikelle remarked. "Darklighter arrows, it hurt."

"That is not what I mean and you know it." Duncan replied. "A whitelighter is supposed to offer guidance and protection, and you are just… you. You don't seem to take it seriously at all."

"You don't know anything about me." Mikelle replied annoyed.

"Then tell me. You barely talk about yourself." Duncan said. "We're supposed to be friends, yet we know almost nothing about you."

"Perhaps that's because I like to keep my past in the past." Mikelle called out. "I was not born in a rich family like you. I had a difficult life and I am glad I escaped it."

"Wait, you think my life was always fun and easy?!" Duncan snapped at her.

"Alright, I am sorry." Mikelle called out loudly. "Can we just drop it now?"

"No, we're going to talk about this!" Duncan replied equally loud.

Suddenly something rumbled in the distance and both Duncan and Mikelle froze. They exchanged concerned looks and stared at the source of the sound. It was almost like a screeching. From the jungle, three green creatures suddenly emerged and leaped onto some rocks across the stream from Duncan and Mikelle. They were reptile-like beings with dark green scales and yellow eyes.

"Oh, that is not good." Mikelle remarked.

"What the hell are they?" Duncan whispered as both of them slowly backed up.

"Stinger Demons." Mikelle replied. "Don't let their darts hit you, they are paralysing."

"Anything else I should know?" Duncan asked.

"Nothing much, except that they are cannibals. They like to eat their victims alive." Mikelle replied. "Let's start running on the count of three, okay?"

As Mikelle took a wrong step, a rock fell and one of the Stinger Demons fired a green energy dart from its wrist. Mikelle covered her face with her hands and disappeared in a swirl of orbs and the dart passed through her. She then reappeared on the exact same stop.

"Three!" Mikelle yelled as she started running.

Duncan looked at the demons and ran after Mikelle. When the other two fired their poisonous darts, Duncan quickly conjured a shield to block them and disappeared into the jungle after Mikelle. The three reptile demons screeched loudly and chased after them.

Xxx

In the modern and richly decorated penthouse, the demons and other evil beings cheered and groaned at the action on the screens. From a balcony overlooking the room, Bacarra observed the crowd and smiled amusedly. The betting had not yet even started and it was already becoming a big success. The demons were already cheering for the deaths of the witches and Bacarra would soon grant them what they desired. The betting would soon begin and these demons would offer up their powers and more to win.

"I assume the next part of your plan will begin shortly?" Klea asked as she appeared beside him and leaned against the glass frame.

"What makes you think there is a next part?" Bacarra asked. "What if all of this is just an elaborate show to get rid of the witches?"

"Because there is always a next part with you." Klea replied simply. "I thought we had already established we want the same thing. Just trust me."

"I know you too well to trust you, Klea." Bacarra replied. "Just like me, you always think ahead, making sure you're one step ahead of everyone else."

"So let's work together." Klea whispered as she moved a little closer and placed a hand on his arm. "Let me help you."

"Fine, follow me." Bacarra said reluctantly.

The warlock took the demon by the arm and guided her into another room. As they headed inside, Bacarra nodded at his guard to make sure nobody would disturb them. Once inside, the room was revealed to a luxurious bedroom. Klea walked around while Bacarra closed the door and grabbed them both a drink. As he handed her a drink, Klea sat down on the bed.

"So tell me about this master plan." Klea remarked as she took a sip.

"It is quite simple actually." Bacarra replied. "Aside from the dangers on the island, the witches will be forced to face certain other adversaries, who I will announce shortly. Once our hunters come into play, the betting will begin."

"And you ensure that the house always wins." Klea reasoned. "So you can take all the profit. Not very original."

"Why change the game when it is effective?" Bacarra replied. "The witches will be dead and the Brotherhood will rise in strength, various demons will be in debt to us and most importantly, the witches will be dead."

"And how will you ensure the house wins?" Klea asked.

"The same way I lured the witches into a trap in the first place." Bacarra said. "The island is home to a very powerful and very rare demonic beast, which I control. While everyone will place their bets on our contestants, our little beast will take them all out and claim the grand prize, the heads of the witches."

"So all bets will automatically go to the house, since everyone will bet on our hunters, ensuring none of them will win." Klea concluded. "So tell me, what is this mysterious beast?"

"That part I will keep secret just a little while longer." Bacarra replied. "Now let's go introduce out hunters to the crowd."

Bacarra put down his glass and held out a helping hand to Klea, lifting her off the bed. Together, they left the bedroom and headed back to the balcony overlooking the crowd. Bacarra nodded to one of his guards and the TV screens went black before the flaming athame appeared once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Bacarra spoke loudly. "It is time for the next phase of the game. Allow me to introduce out hunters, who will risk their lives to hunt the witches and claim victory. After that, the betting will begin."

Bacarra smiled and winked at Klea as the crowd clapped their hands. The doors of the penthouse opened and a small army of demons and other evil beings came charging in, each of them believing they had a shot at victory. It was such a simple plan, yet they were all falling for it. Soon the Chosen would be dead and the Brotherhood would claim power over all. Bacarra looked over to Klea and winked, while the demon smiled back at him seductively.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 3

xxx

On various remote spots on the mysterious tropical island, magical portals of violently swirling red energy opened out of thin air. From each of the portals an individual appeared, including a Darklighter wielding a crossbow and a burly Brute Demon. A metallic sphere with a red camera inside followed each of them out as the portal closed behind them. The sphere hovered before them as projected an image in the air, on which Bacarra appeared.

"Welcome contestants." Bacarra said. "Your objective is to kill the witches trapped on this island. There are no rules and everything is permitted. There can be only one victor and the game does not end until there is only one left standing. Remember that the audience is betting on you, so every action counts. Good luck and happy hunting."

The image disappeared and the camera hovered up in the air, designed to follow each contestant and record and broadcast all their actions. When the image disappeared, the various evil magical beings prepared to get the game started. As the Darklighter headed toward the jungle, there was a loud screech and a Stinger Demon leaped out of the bushes. However, before it could make a move, the Darklighter fired an arrow and struck the demon in the head, causing it to explode in flames and green slime. The Darklighter looked annoyed as some of the slime hit his boots, so he wiped it off in the sand before heading further into the jungle.

When the various evil beings arrived on the island, two red eyes started to burn inside a dark cavern and something stirred in the darkness, unleashing a deafening roar.

Xxx

While camping out on a small clearing with a few rocks, Violet sat down on a rock and inspected her leg. The skin on her knee was grazed and bleeding and it was quite painful. Meanwhile, the cut across her cheek stung as well. As she looked around the thick jungle, she hoped Arthur would come back soon. He had headed out to find some magical herbs to heal her injuries, though she wished he had stayed with her, since she did not feel safe on this island.

When some of the bushes rustled, Violet looked up shocked, though she was relieved when she saw it was Arthur. In his hands he carried a branch with light blue berries on it. He walked over and kneeled down next to her.

"What are those?" Violet asked.

"I don't know their name, but I remember seeing them in a book at Magic School." Arthur said as he held up the berries. "They are said to speed up the natural healing process."

"Do I eat them?" Violet asked.

"No, I have to mash them up and put them on the wound, which might sting a little, like putting alcohol on it." Arthur explained.

"Are you sure?" Violet asked nervously.

"Do you trust me?" Arthur asked as he looked at her.

"Yeah, I trust you." Violet replied as she looked back at him, at which Arthur smiled.

"Alright. Just brace yourself, because it will sting." Arthur said.

Violet nodded and prepared herself. She watches as Arthur mashed up the berries with some rocks to the point where they looked like jelly. He then put two fingers in the jelly and gently applied it to the grazing under her knee. Violet squealed as the jelly burned and she looked away while clenching her fists. Suddenly, she felt Arthur's hand on hers, grabbing them firmly. She looked at him and his comforting smile, almost forgetting the burning sensation for a moment. After a while, the burning faded and she felt relief from the pain.

"It is working." Violet said.

"Told you." Arthur replied as he let go of her hands. "Now all that is left is the cut on your face. It will hurt, but it might get infected if we don't treat it."

"I wish Mikelle was here to heal it." Violet replied.

"I know, but for now you're stuck with me." Arthur said.

"I don't mind." Violet replied softly.

She watched as Arthur ran a finger through the light blue jelly and placed his hand on her jaw, slightly nudging her head so he could inspect the wound clearly. He raised his finger to the cut and Violet closed her eyes. He carefully smeared the healing jelly across the cut and she grabbed his arm and pressed her nails into his skin as it started to burn. When the burning lessened, she let go of his arm. Her nails were buried deep in his skin, which must have hurt, though Arthur had not said a thing.

"Thank you." Violet said. "I don't know what I would have done without you. I'd probably be dead already."

"I don't think so." Arthur said. "I think you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I mean, a few months ago, you did not even know magic existed. Now look at all you've been through."

"I couldn't have done any of it without my friends." Violet replied.

"And they couldn't have done it without you." Arthur said.

"You think so?" Violet asked.

"I am sure of it." Arthur said.

His support made Violet feel relieved. She saw herself as the weakest of the group, since she knew nothing about magic and had no active powers. She could not even control her premonitions when she needed them. But at least there was someone who believed in her.

"We need to find the others." Violet said. "And since I cannot use my premonitions, perhaps we can use something else."

"Like what?" Arthur asked.

"When Billie and the others found me, they used a spell to locate me." Violet said. "Perhaps I can do something similar. Like a locator spell or something. But I've never created a spell."

"It's worth a shot." Arthur said. "And I am sure you can do it. Just open up and let the words flow. Trust in yourself and it will come to you."

"Alright." Violet said as she closed her eyes and focussed. She cleared her mind and aimed all her desires on finding her friends. All she needed were the right words. In a moment of inspiration, she opened her mouth and started chanting.

"_Whether far or whether near,_

_Take me to those I hold dear_

_Let the light show me the way,_

_So I remain no longer astray._"

When Violet opened her eyes, she saw four colourful orbs of light coming out of her heart and circling around her. Each of the four held a different color and were playfully swirling around her.

"It worked." Violet said excited.

"I told you, just trust in yourself." Arthur replied.

Violet held out her hand and one of the four orbs, a green one, hovered down and circled her hand. Suddenly, it flew away and stopped right in front of Arthur. Violet thought of the spell and gasped. The spell was designed to lead her to those she held dear, meaning that she had some feelings for Arthur. However, she was unsure of what she felt exactly, and it was something that she could not think about right now. The orb flashed brightly and disappeared.

"What just happened?" Arthur asked confused.

"Uh, must be a glitch or something." Violet quickly lied. "I think we should follow these other orbs. Each has a different color, so I think they each represent one of my friends."

"I think you're right." Arthur replied. "So let's follow them."

Violet nodded and turned to the other orbs. She focussed on her friends and the orbs started to circle them. Suddenly, the red orb shot in one direction, while the yellow and blue one went in the opposite direction. Her friends were not in the same place and the orbs were moving fast, so she had to act quickly. She knew she had to choose.

"Which should be follow?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know." Violet called out.

"You have to pick, or we'll lose them all." Arthur replied.

"Alright, we'll follow the one that is alone." Violet said. "The others can take care of each other."

"Okay, let's get going." Arthur replied.

Arthur took Violet by the arm and they started chasing after the red orb. Luckily, the berries that eased her pain and she was able to run again, as the orb was moving fast through the jungle. As they ran, she looked at Arthur and was unsure if he believed her when she lied about the orb. She felt conflicted as it obviously meant something. But she was not sure she was ready to deal with it. At this moment, finding her friends and getting off this island was the most important.

Xxx

At the same time, the Brute Demon made his way across the jungle while cutting away bushing with a large knife he was carrying. Suddenly, two colourful orbs flew past him and he stopped and looked at them as they headed further in the jungle. The demon smiled, knowing the orbs would probably lead him to his prey, and followed them.

xxx

Billie cursed as one of the leather-faced demons pushed her and she tripped in the mud. She tried to crawl up, which was not easy with her hands bound in thick rope. After trapping them in their net, the demons had cut her and Jake down and tied them up. Now they were presumably being taken to their camp. One of the demons dragged her to her feet and forced her to keep walking. She considered using her powers, but there were too many demons. Billie looked over her shoulder and saw Jake was being dragged along in a similar fashion to her. However he had struggled more, which the demons had punished by beating him. He had a bloody lip and a bruised eye.

After what seemed like an hour or two, they arrived at a campsite with wooden walls surrounding it. A fence created from bones was raised and they entered the camp. There were a few small huts and one larger structure, with a large campfire in front of it and a large pit in the ground. Billie and Jake were taken to the front of the structure and forced to their knees. On a throne in front of the structure, sat a man dressed in leather with a bone necklace around his neck. Unlike his followers, he did not wear a leather mask. He was an imposing and muscular bald man with dark skin.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked.

"The Swarm King." Jake said as he spat blood on the ground, at which one of the demons struck him across the face.

"Yes, I am the King, so you will show me some respect, or my drones will kill you." The King said.

"What do you want?" Billie asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, what are you doing on my territory?" The King asked.

"We just woke up here. You don't know anything about that?" Billie asked.

"Do you know where you are?" The King asked.

"An island, so what?" Billie replied.

"Yes, an island." The King replied. "A desert island filled with demons. Do you think any of us chose to be here? This island has been used as a prison for centuries by demons. Most prisoners get eaten by the Stinger Demons though."

"And you rule over the others?" Jake asked.

"I do not need minions to rule over. I spawn my own." The King replied. "But all who enter my territory will pay the price."

"So do you know who sent us here?" Billie asked.

"I do." The King said. "But why would I share that information with you? I can just kill you."

"So why haven' you yet?" Jake asked. "I doubt you talk to your other prisoners."

"Let's just say you intrigue me." The King said. "A witch and a mortal trapped in the island, and you're not the only ones either."

"Do you have my friends?" Billie asked angrily.

"No, they are still loose on the island." The King said. "But I am sure that the Stingers or our new guests will end their lives soon enough."

"New guests?" Billie asked.

"Yes, a small army of demons has just arrived on the island." The King said. "The one who sent you here must really want you dead, and they are making quite a show out of it."

"Alright, enough talk." Jake called out annoyed. "What do you want?"

"I want a show of my own." The King said. "Being trapped on this island with only my drones became quite boring after a while. So I had to think of ways to entertain myself."

Billie noticed the King looking at the pit beyond the fire and realized what it was, a ring. That was how he entertained himself; with gladiator-like fights in that damn pit, having his drones fight the prisoners they catch on the island. Billie suddenly realized she had a shot.

"Alright, let's make a deal." Billie said. "I see what that pit is for. Let's make it more interesting. If we can beat your fighter, you tell us what you know and you let us go."

"And if my champion wins?" The King asked.

"Name it." Billie replied.

"Alright, if my champion wins, I get you." The King replied suggestively. "Life on this island gets lonely, after all."

"What?! No way!" Jake called out angrily as he tried to get up, though he was quickly beaten down by his guard.

Billie was surprised by his angry response. There was definitely something between them, but she did not think that Jake cared about her like that. However, she was also insulted a little. She could make her own decisions and did not need him to protect her. The Kings' proposal revolted her, but she was determined and confident that she would not lose against his supposed champion.

"Agreed." Billie said.

"Then we have a deal, pretty witch." The King said. "It shows bravery that you will place your fate in the hands of this weak mortal, your champion."

"Wait, what?!" Billie called out. "No, he is not my champion. I can defend myself, I want to fight."

"Out of the question." The King said. "I would not risk harming your pretty skin. Your mortal will fight for your fate. Prepare him."

As Billie screamed and struggled, the guard dragged her away and tied her to a pole near the campfire, giving her a view of the pit, which was covered in bones. Meanwhile, the guards holding Jake dragged him to the pit and cut away the rope that bound his hands. They then roughly pressed him to the ground as they ripped and tore away his shirt and removed his boots. Shirtless and barefoot, Jake was thrown in the pit and landed in the sand among the bones.

"Bring out the champion." The King called out.

The Swarm Demons that had circled around the pit cleared a path. From one of the small huts, another demon emerged. He looked identical to the others, only larger and scarier. He walked to the pit and jumped down, cracking some bones as he landed on them. Jake looked up at his opponent and Billie saw the doubt in his eyes when he faced the huge champion. She started to fear for him as well, not to mention for herself. The King looked on amused as he ordered the fight to commence and the demons cheered.

Xxx

Duncan and Mikelle ran across the jungle while the screeching behind them grew louder and closer. The Stinger Demons had been chasing them for what seemed like ever and both of them were becoming exhausted. However, since the reptile demons were predators that knew this jungle, Duncan worried that they might not be able to escape. Perhaps they needed to fight. Duncan suddenly heard something move above them and stopped as he conjured a crossbow in his hands.

"What are you doing?" Mikelle called out.

Duncan aimed it at the rustling leafs above him and fired a few arrows, though he hit nothing. There was another screech and a Stinger Demon leaped down in front of him. Duncan fired another arrow and hit the demon in the chest, causing it to explode in fire and slime. However, another demon leaped down and fired a poison dart and grazed his leg. Duncan instantly felt the paralysing poison spread across his leg and fell down. The demon crawled closer and raised its claw, though before it could slash, Mikelle appeared and hit it across the head with a rock, knocking it out.

"Crap, the poison is spreading." Duncan called out as he felt the poison spreading to his waist.

"Let me heal you." Mikelle replied.

Mikelle held her hand over the wound and a golden light emerged. The small cut where Duncan had been hit healed and Duncan could feel the poison stop spreading, but it would not disappear.

"I stopped it, but I can't cure it completely." Mikelle said. "It should wear off eventually."

"We need to get out of here." Duncan warned her.

"I know." Mikelle replied as she tried to help him up.

"No, I mean right now. There were three of them!" Duncan called out.

At that moment, the third Stinger Demon came crawling out from the bushes and screeched. It fired a poison dart, though Mikelle orbed out momentarily to avoid it. The reptile demon wanted to fire again, though it was suddenly distracted by two small orbs that flew across the air and hovered in front of Duncan and Mikelle and then disappeared. A few seconds later, something transparent moved through the bushes and grabbed the Reptile Demon, snapping its neck.

There was a shimmer as a burly demon dropped its camouflage and stepped forward. Mikelle stood up and the demon hit her, sending her crashing into a tree and knocking her out. Duncan tried to crawl away with his paralysed leg, but the Brute Demon grabbed his leg and pulled him back.

Xxx

In another part of the jungle, a demon found himself lost and he angrily threw an Energy Ball at a tree. He froze when a deafening roar sounded through the jungle. The demon turned around and looked at a few bushes, where glowing red eyes stared at him. The demon screamed when a monstrous figure charged at him and tore him to shreds.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 4

xxx

In the demonic camp of the Swarm Demons, Billie adverted her eyes from the pit as the champion threw Jake across the pit like a rag doll. The fight had only barely started, but Jake was no match for the huge demon, and she could not stand to see him get hurt like this. As Jake hit the ground, his painful groan echoed through the pit and Billie could swear she heard something crack. Meanwhile, the demonic crowd cheered loudly and the King looked on amused. Billie did not want to look anymore, but her curiosity and concern got the better of her.

Billie looked down in the pit and saw Jake was slowly rising to his feet. He was bleeding and covered in bruises, though he refuse to give up. He held a sharp-edged bone in his hand like a weapon and Billie noticed the green ring on his finger glowing. She wondered if the ring was protecting him somehow, though she did not have time to think about it. The champion yelled and charged at Jake. Just as the demon lashed out at him, Jake ducked forward and thrust the sharp bone in the leg of the demon before rolling aside. The demon screamed in pain and anger as it yanked out the bone and tossed it aside. With a slight limb, it continued to charge at Jake.

"Come on, ugly." Jake challenged the demon.

Jake ran at the demon and punched him in the face and the stomach, though it barely affected the demon. The demon struck him across the face and Jake fell on his knees while clutching his jaw. Billie knew she had to do something, there was no way Jake could be able to survive this much longer, and she realized she did not want him to die. She did not even care about her own situation, she just could not let him die. The demon grabbed Jake and lifted him up in the air and started using him as a punching bag.

"Jake!" Billie called out in a panic.

The demon was temporarily distracted and Jake managed to wrap his legs around the arm that struck him. He twisted his legs, breaking the arm with a loud snap. As the demon screamed, he fell to the ground and avoided a stamping foot by rolling away. Suddenly Billie noticed something shining among the bones and saw it was a blade half buried in the sand. She used her telekinesis to slightly lift it from the sand.

"Jake, the blade!" Billie yelled as she nudged her head at the sword.

Jake looked up at her with a bruised face and followed her signals. He turned and noticed the blade. Meanwhile, the champion screamed angrily and created a Fire Ball in his hand. As Jake ran toward the blade, the demon threw the Fire Ball. Billie quickly used her telekinesis to slightly alter its course, so it missed Jake by a few inches. Jake dove at the sword and pulled it from the sand. The demon yelled and stepped forward while forming another Fire Ball.

Jake barely avoided his attack by jumping aside and ran forward. However, instead of attacking the demon head on, he stopped and threw the blade with both hands, causing it to spin and impale the demon in the chest. The demon stumbled backwards and fell down in the sand, while a heavily breathing Jake fell on his knees. Both remained still, then the champion disintegrated in flames.

"Alright, the fight is over." The King called out disappointed. "Get the mortal and treat his injuries."

The demons guarding Billie untied her ropes and dragged her over to the king. Billie looked over her shoulder and saw the demons pulling Jake out of the pit and forcing him down on his knees. One of the demons approached him with a wooden bowl and started smearing blue goo on his injuries, causing Jake to scream in pain.

"What the hell are you doing?! We had a deal!" Billie called out.

"The berries will speed up his healing, they only burn for a moment." The King replied.

"So you will honor our deal?" Billie asked.

"You think I did not notice you helping the mortal?" The King asked.

"Your champion cheated as well, he used his powers. How is that fair combat?" Billie replied. "You need to keep your end of the deal, tell us what you know!"

"Alright." The King replied. "You're on what most prisoners refer to as Survivor Island. It was used as a prison for centuries, but lately, it has been given a few function." He turned to one of his drones. "Bring the sphere."

The drone took a bow and disappeared into the large structure. Billie looked over her shoulder and Jake and saw the demons had put him down by the campfire, all his wounds treated with the blue stuff. He looked exhausted and in pain, but otherwise alright. When the demon returned, Billie turned back to the King and saw he was holding a metallic sphere.

"What is that?" Billie asked.

"A way to obverse what is happening on the island." The King said. "They float through the air and record everything that is happening. It seems that whoever sent you here, is keeping track of your every move."

"They're recording us?" Billie asked. "Like some twisted reality show? Why?"

"I do not know. But whoever sent these things here, has now sent a small army of demons to take out you and your friends. They appeared through portals all over the island."

"So it's a game to them, a hunting game with us as the prey." Billie concluded. "Do you know who is behind it?"

"There are not many who know about this island." The King replied. "Whoever sent you here is quite powerful and well informed. Spells have been placed all around the island, preventing most forms of teleportation and severely weakening the telepathic connection between me and my drones."

"So that is why Mikelle can't hear me." Billie said. "She can't sense me here. Alright, one more question. How do I find my friends and get off this island?"

"I am afraid I cannot answer that." The King replied.

"You cannot or will not?" Billie asked skeptically.

"Both." The King replied. "If I knew the way off this island, I would not be here. But I am afraid that I cannot let you go either."

"But we had a deal!" Billie called out angrily.

"You foolish witch." The King replied. "I am a demon, did you honestly expect me to keep my word? I have a new champion to fight in my pit and a pretty thing to keep me company at night. Did you really think I would let you slip through my fingers?"

"You're disgusting." Billie said revolted.

"You better get used to it." The King replied with a smug smile. "Take her to my cha…"

The King suddenly stopped and gasped. Billie looked up and noticed a black arrow had pierced his forehead. Billie spun around and up at the trees. A man in a black coat was huddled on a tree branch outside of the camp, with a crossbow aimed at the King. Billie instantly recognized him as a Darklighter. The Swarm King let out a gurgling sound and burst out in flames. One by one, his drones started to scream as they combusted in fire until they were all reduced to ashes. At least that took care of one problem. Billie looked up at the Darklighter and saw he was reloading his crossbow. She quickly used telekinesis to untie her hands and ran over to Jake.

"Time to move." Billie said as he helped him up.

"Yeah." Jake replied painfully.

Together, they started running toward the camp entrance and Billie flung her arm to destroy the fence contracted of bones and they ran back into the jungle. As they ran past a few trees, Billie felt something fly past her head and saw an arrow piercing the tree in front of her. She yelled at Jake to run faster and they disappeared in the maze of trees. The Darklighter jumped out of the tree he was in and started to chase after them.

Xxx

Violet and Arthur ran across the jungle after the fast moving red orb in front of them. Arthur was moving slightly faster, since her leg was still hurting a little and disappeared behind some trees. Violet had no idea where the orb was leading them, but she hoped she would find her friends soon. As she kept running, Violet suddenly noticed she had lost sight of the orb and Arthur and started to panic. She started screamed his name until someone suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into some bushes while covering her mouth.

"Stay quiet." Arthur whispered in her ear and he let her go.

"What is going on?" Violet asked softly.

"Look!" Arthur said as he pointed up ahead.

Violet followed his lead and looked on ahead. In the middle of the jungle, a wooden wall suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and Violet knew that it could only mean one thing. The demons they had encountered had built themselves some kind of settlement, and one of her friend might be inside.

"We have to get in." Violet said. "Billie, Duncan or Mikelle could be in there."

"We have no idea what is waiting for us." Arthur replied. "It's too dangerous."

"We have to find out." Violet said. "Can't you use an illusion to hide us again?"

"I could try, but you have to stay close by me and don't make a sound." Arthur said. "It is more difficult to cast an illusion around a moving target, and I cannot hide our sounds."

"Okay." Violet said. "Let's find the entrance."

Violet and Arthur made their way to the wall as quietly as possible and followed it. Soon they reached a gateway and Arthur cast his illusion to keep them hidden from sight. They slowly made their way to the gate and noticed it had been destroyed. When they entered the settlement, they saw it was deserted. The red orb flew around in the air and disappeared. When Violet stepped away from Arthur, the illusion surrounding them broke and they became visible. Everywhere they looked, there were piles of ashes. Arthur kneeled down and held his hand above one.

"They're still warm." Arthur said. "They were vanquished less than an hour ago, I think."

"What happened here?" Violet asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps they turned on each other?" Arthur suggested.

"Oh my god, look over here." Violet called out.

She ran over to the edge of a large pit in the middle of the settlement, where she found a shredded blue shirt and a pair of boots, similar to the clothing they were wearing. When she picked up the remains of the shirt, Violet was pulled in a premonition.

_Billie was standing on the edge of the pit, tied to a pole. In the pit, Jake Porter was fighting against a demon. A moment later, Billie was standing in front of a man sitting on a throne. An arrow pierced his head, then he and all his minions exploded. From a tree, a Darklighter aimed his bow. Billie and Jake ran back into the jungle_.

Violet gasped as the premonition ended and dropped the boot. Arthur rushed over and placed his hands on her shoulders. Violet quickly explained everything she saw.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, premonitions can be pretty intense, that's all." Violet replied.

"So Billie is here with this Jake, who is a witch hunter." Arthur summed up. "And you're sure he is on our side?"

"Billie seemed concerned about him, so I think so." Violet said, remembering Billie's expression when watching Jake fighting the demon.

"So that means the other two orbs led to Duncan and Mikelle." Arthur said. "So at least nobody is alone. It just makes you wonder how they got all of us to this island."

"I know. I wish I could remember all of it." Violet said. "But we need to find the others. If there is a Darklighter here, who knows what else is hunting us."

"We should get moving, I don't think it is safe to stay here out in the open." Arthur said.

"Good thinking." Violet replied.

The two of them headed back to the entrance, though before they could reach it, a demon dressed a leather jacket suddenly stepped through the gate. He was a young man with blonde hair, with a lot of piercings in his ears. He raised his hand fired a blast of lightning at them. Violet screamed as the lightning shot directly at Arthur and feared for his life. As a reaction, she raised her hands. Suddenly, everything around her seemed to slow down and move in slow motion. With her hands still raised, Violet watched as the lightning slowed down and completely stopped right in front of Arthur.

Violet stood frozen with her hands in the air as she looked around. Everything around her had stopped moving. She noticed the hate on the demon's face and Arthur's eyes widened in shock. She lowered her hands and walked toward Arthur, waving her hand across his face. There was no response. Violet wondered what had just happened. She looked at her hands and wondered if she had done this, could it be some new power?

Xxx

With his hands dug down in the earth, Duncan tried to resist the demon dragging him across the jungle floor by his paralysed leg, though it made little difference. The demon tossed him and he rolled over the ground, landing next to the unconscious Mikelle. Duncan looked up at the huge demon towering over him, who smirked contently.

"That was easy." The Brute Demon said. "Winning this should be piece of cake."

"Winning what?" Duncan asked.

"The game." The Brute replied.

"What are you talking about?" Duncan asked.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." The Brute replied. "I got more witches to hunt down, so I'll just kill you before the others beat me to it."

Duncan held out his hand and quickly conjured an athame, which he threw at the Brute Demon. However, the demon had fast enough reflexes to catch it and tossed it aside on the ground. He reached down and picked up Duncan with one hand.

"Not good enough." The Brute replied angrily. "I am going to enjoy this."

The demon placed his large hand on Duncan's head and started crushing it. Duncan knew that Brute Demons could kill by crushing skulls with their bare hands and realized he had to act quickly. He closed his eyes and his body fell into a slump. His astral form appeared behind the demon in an orange glow and picked up the athame. He charged at the demon and stabbed him in the back. The demon dropped his unconscious body and screamed as he stumbled back and tried to pull out the knife. However, he tripped and fell back, impaling himself with his own weight.

A moment later, the demon exploded in a ball of fire. Duncan's astral form disappeared and returned to his body. He felt like his head had been hit with a wrecking ball and he groaned in pain.

"Mikelle?" Duncan asked softly.

There was no response and Duncan noticed she was still unconscious. He sighed and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, he noticed a metallic sphere with a red glowing light hovering between the trees, and wondered what the hell was going on on this island.

Xxx

On another part of the island, Billie peeked out of a small cavern to check if the Darklighter had followed them. She was pretty confident they had lost him while running through the jungle, but Darklighters were experienced hunters. Luckily, they had found the cavern beside a rock wall to hide out in. Jake was still injured and was slowing them down. When she was sure the coast was clear, Billie went back in the cavern. Jake was leaning against the wall, still bruised and hurting, though the berries seemed to speed up his healing a little.

"Are you okay?" Billie asked.

"I'll be fine. I've been through worse." Jake replied. "Though I think the blue stuff stopped working, it feels all sticky and gross."

"We should probably wash it off." Billie said.

Billie looked around and noticed there was water dripping from the side of the cavern, forming a small puddle between some rocks. She moved over and checked the water, it was clean and cool.

"Come over here." Billie said.

Jake got up with a groan and walked over to Billie. As he sat down, Billie took a hand of water and started washing the berries off his arm. The bruises on his arm seemed like they were a few days old already, so they were healing fast.

"Is the water too cold?" Billie asked.

"No, it's nice." Jake replied as he closed his eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem." Billie replied with a smile. "You defended my honor after all."

Jake chuckled for a moment, but groaned in pain when Billie washed his shoulder, which was still heavily bruised. She proceeded to wash his face. When she moved down to wash his bare chest, she suddenly realized how weird this was. There was all this tension and attraction between them and now he had risked his life in a fight for her. As she looked at him, she noticed he looked all primal and irresistible while all bruised and half-naked. It was actually pretty hot. She tried to ignore those feelings, though it was pretty hard with the two of them stuck in a small cavern like this, with her hands all his muscular body.

"That feels really nice." Jake whispered.

"Well, don't get used to it." Billie remarked. "I am only cleaning your wounds. They are healing nicely."

When Billie removed her hands, Jake suddenly grabbed one of her wrists. He opened his eyes and looked at her with an intense stare. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her. Billie hesitated for a moment, but then gave in and started kissing him back. She forgot all about his injuries and the rest of the island, none of that mattered right now. She felt his hands slide over her back and he started to lift up her tank top. Her hands moved down from his chest and started to unbutton his pants. As the clothes came flying off, the temperate in the cavern seemed to rise. Unknown to both of them, another metallic sphere hovered right outside.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 5

xxx

In the luxurious penthouse, various demons screamed angrily while others cheered as the Brute Demon was vanquished on the TV screens by Duncan. All of them had started betting and tempers were rising as the ones who betted on the Brute realized they had lost. However, most present had put their bets on the Darklighter, especially after the impressive way he vanquished the entire hive of Swarm Demons with a single arrow.

From a seat at the bar, Bacarra looked on with content as he realized his plan was working. Everyone was too busy with the betting and the witches to notice the hunters were being picked off one by one by something much bigger and more dangerous. As the screen changed to the blonde with and her mortal in the cavern, Bacarra was joined at the bar by Klea.

"I updated the others. They are impressed." Klea said as she ordered a drink.

"They should be." Bacarra replied arrogantly.

"So tell me something." Klea replied. "It seems like a day has almost passed on the island, yet we've only been watching for about two hours. I thought you said this footage was live?"

"Oh, it is live." Bacarra replied. "When I cast various spells on the island to keep the witches there, I added a little that that created a temporal field. Time is actually moving faster on the island than in real life. Through the eyes of the Chosen, they have been trapped on the island for nearly a day, while I only trapped them a few hours ago."

"So that is why they can't remember?" Klea asked.

"That is part of it." Bacarra asked. "The amnesia is just to add to the suspense a little."

"So the betting is going well." Klea remarked as she watched the score board being updated by one of the warlock's minions. "Just make sure everyone pays what they owe."

"Don't worry, they cannot leave until the game is over and all winnings have been collected." Bacarra replied. "And since most of them have bitten of more than they can chew, most of them will not be leaving alive."

"Don't gloat, Bacarra." Klea remarked as she rolled her eyes. "Pride always comes before the fall."

"Is that a threat?" Bacarra asked as he turned to her and took hold of her arm.

"Just a notion, you have nothing to fear from me." Klea replied as she stared at him and moved a little closer. "You know I am on your side."

"For now." Bacarra replied softly as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't forget I know how you operate. I have no intention to end up with a knife in my bag."

"Neither have I." Klea replied and she took his hand and pushed it back to him. "Just win the game, the sooner this is over, the sooner I can slip out of this dress."

Klea smiled seductively as she walked away with a glass of champagne. Bacarra smirked and found himself staring at her swaying hips as she disappeared in the crowd. He knew she was playing him, but two could play that game, and he always went for the win.

When demons suddenly started cheering, Bacarra looked up at the screen. Apparently, the blonde witch and her witch hunter were getting hot and steamy in the cavern. Although the sphere was too far away and the cavern blocked the complete view, it was quite clear what was going on from the blurred images and sounds. Bacarra smirked, at least they made the show interesting.

Xxx

Night started to fall on the island. Violet took a deep sigh as she looked around. Everything was frozen in time, even the large campfire behind them and the wind rustling through the trees. It had been minutes since time appeared to have stopped and she had no idea how long it would last. She hesitantly raised her hand to Arthur, though she was afraid of what would happen if she did.

In order to protect him from the lightning bolt, she moved a heavy wooden rack with animal pelts between him and the lightning.

Violet then tried to copy the hand motion she did earlier to undo what she had done, although nothing seemed to happen. She still had no idea how this mysterious new power worked. Annoyed, she kicked against a rock, which accidentally bounced off the ground and hit Arthur in the leg. Suddenly, everything started to move again, first in slow motion and then speeding up. Violet knew she had to move quickly.

Unfrozen, the lightning bolt hit the wooden rack and it combusted in a fiery explosion. As Arthur stood there with a confused look, Violet grabbed him and pulled him away, barely avoiding another lightning bolt from an equally confused demon.

"What just happened?" Arthur asked as they took cover behind a wooden hut.

"I have no idea, suddenly everything seemed to freeze." Violet said. "I think I did something with my hands. I watched as the lightning bolt almost you and I panicked."

"Wait, did you freeze time or stop molecules?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know! What does it matter?" Violet replied confused.

"Where the hell are you, witch!?" The demon called out angrily. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"We need to think of something." Arthur said. "We need something to defend ourselves."

"Over there." Violet replied as she pointed at some primitive looking spears near the larger structure. "Distract him, so we can run over there and grab a spear."

"Alright, stay close and don't make a sound." Arthur said. He peeked around the corner and waved his hand at the demon. "Now!" he called out.

Arthur grabbed Violet by the hand and they ran across the settlement. Violet looked over her shoulder and saw the demon hitting the air around him and throwing lightning, but there was nothing really there. Arthur's illusion seemed to work, though she had no idea what the demon was seeing. When they reached the spears, Arthur grabbed one and pointed it at the demon.

"We have to move quickly, the illusion will wear off soon." Arthur said.

Arthur started to run at the demon with the spear raised. However, he stopped when a deafening roar echoed through the settlement. It all happened so fast that Violet barely knew what was happening. Something huge leaped over the wooden wall and charged right at the demon. The demon was thrown to the ground and torn to shreds by something invisible, though Violet could vaguely see the outlining of a huge beast as it devoured the demon. Arthur quickly grabbed Violet and pulled her into the large structure, were both held their breath. The screams of the demon had stopped and Violet peeked around the corner. The invisible creature looked around with glowing red eyes. It sniffed at the ground and ran back into the jungle.

"What the hell was that?" She asked trembling.

"I don't know, but I think I remember something." Arthur said.

"What?" Violet asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder, which instantly pulled her into a premonition, or more specifically a memory.

_She saw all of them standing around in a dark alley, everyone was there, including Arthur, who was telling them something. "I think I found what you are looking for, but it was thought to extinct. It has the power to become invisible except for its eyes. I have no idea how it got here." Suddenly, each of them turned when they heard a load roar._

Violet gasped and she returned to the present and now realized it was a vision of before they woke up on the island. She turned to Arthur and quickly told him what she saw in the memory.

"I remember that." Arthur said. "You guys asked me to find out what was killing innocents, but none of it seemed to make sense, until I remembered an old legend about the city of Zanbar. I think we're dealing with a Hellhound."

"But you said in the premonition that they were extinct." Violet replied. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, none of this makes any sense." Arthur said. "We all woke up on this strange island with no memories, it is filled with demons that should not be here and beasts that are supposed to be extinct. I think all of this was set up. Someone trapped us here with all these threats to kill us."

"How do you know?" Violet asked.

"Because I was hired at Magic School by Leo Wyatt, and I take my modern history very serious." Arthur replied. "A few years ago, two demons tried to kill the Charmed Ones by making them compete in a demonic reality show, where all types of evil magical beings would hunt them down. What if that is what is going here?"

"If that is true, then we really need to find the others." Violet said.

"I know, but it is getting dark and with that thing out there, I don't think we should risk it during the night." Arthur said. "I think we should camp out in one of the huts, so we're covered. We can take turns keeping watch."

"But what about my friends?" Violet protested. "They are still out there."

"I know, but we can't help them if we stumble around in the dark and get torn to pieces by that creature." Arthur replied. "You have to trust me."

"I do." Violet replied. "I guess you are right."

Violet and Arthur inspected the settlement and pulled rags and animals furs from the huts. They settled down in one of the huts and Violet set up a small camp. Meanwhile, Arthur used the rags to close off the entrance and used the spear to carve a spy hole in the rag to keep watch.

"Why don't you get some sleep first?" Arthur said. "You should probably get under the furs, since islands like this can get pretty cold at night."

"What about you?" Violet asked.

"I will take the first guard shift. I will wake you in a few hours." Arthur replied.

"Okay, uh… good night then." Violet said awkwardly.

"Yeah, you too." Arthur replied with a half-smile.

Violet crawled under the rags and closed her eyes to get some sleep. However, with everything that was going, it was difficult to calm down. She stared at Arthur found him strangely comforting in this craziness. The thought of him looking out for her seemed to calm her down. She could not have gotten his far without him. As she looked at him, thought back to the little green orb and knew that she liked him. She also realized that for some reason, her strange new power triggered when he was in danger. All the signs pointed to the fact she really liked him, it was just that she was too scared to admit it to herself, since she had been hurt before. As she pondered her awkwardness in this situation, Violet eventually fell asleep.

Xxx

On the other side of the jungle, Duncan woke up when he was painfully slapped across the face and heard Mikelle calling his name. He opened his eyes and stared up at the starry tropical sky, and could barely avoid another slap by grabbing Mikelle's wrist. He sat up and looked around confused. It took him a while to remember what was going on.

"I am up." Duncan said. "I must have fallen asleep or something."

"Uh, try almost dying." Mikelle replied. "You had a cracked head. I just finished healing you again. What happened to the Brute Demon?"

"I vanquished him." Duncan said. "But I remember something else, there was something in the air, like a metallic sphere."

"I know, I saw it." Mikelle said. "I think it has been following us since we got here, recording everything we do. Do you get what that means?"

"I think I do." Duncan replied as he remembered some of his modern history lessons from Magic School discussing the Charmed Ones. "Witch Wars?"

"Probably, which means every second we spend here, we risk getting killed." Mikelle said. "I hate it when they revive old shows. They're never as good."

"Okay focus." Duncan remarked. "How long have I been out anyway?"

"No idea, but it is night now. We've been trapped here for a whole day." Mikelle said as she stood up. "We need to find shelter to spend the night. Who knows what else is after us."

"Good point." Duncan replied as he rose to his feet. "Any suggestions?"

"Two choices, we can either go further in the jungle or back to the beach." Mikelle replied.

"The beach has less shelter, plus that is where we ran into those reptile freaks." Duncan reasoned.

"Right, so further in-land it is." Mikelle concluded.

As they headed into the jungle, Duncan thought about the others and wondered what they were doing right now. At least he had hope they were alive. Since they were connected through their magic, he figured he must have sensed it if they had been killed. At least that was what he hoped.

After a while of walking in the near dark, the silence in the jungle was suddenly disrupted by a terrifying scream of agony. Both Duncan and Mikelle stopped and exchanged concerned looks. Duncan wondered what the hell was on this island, though on second thought, he realized he'd be better off never finding out.

Xxx

A flaming athame flashed across the TV screens in the penthouse as the show took a quick break. A score board appeared on screen that revealed there were still five hunters in play, including the fan favourite Darklighter. The rest had either been killed by the witches or the creature that inhabited the island. One demon, a large bald man dressed in leather, smashed his class and stood up angrily.

"This game is rigged!" He called out. "You never mentioned anything about monsters on the island! I lost everything betting on that blasted Brute."

Some other demons agreed with him and voiced their displeasure loudly. Meanwhile, Bacarra stepped onto the small stage in the middle of the room, in front of the largest screen, and raised his hands.

"I understand your frustration, friends." Bacarra said casually. "But it is all part of the game. I do believe I said something about a new setting, new enemies and new plot twists when we started. It was you who decided to bet it all."

The attractive demon in the red dress Bacarra had met at the start of the evening stood up. "And what about the witches themselves. Looks they figured out they are being watched. That changes everything." She called out.

"It changes nothing." Bacarra replied. "They might be aware now, but they are still trapped on the island, and there is no escape. This game only has one ending."

"Then I want to place another bet on that invisible beast." The bald demon called out. "Nothing can stand against that thing."

"I am sorry, but the betting has officially closed." Bacarra replied.

"I don't think so." The bald demon said as he raised his hand and formed an Energy Ball. "I am not getting screwed over by some warlock."

"Then I guess you will have to turn in your losses early." Bacarra replied slightly annoyed.

Bacarra snapped his finger and one of his henchmen blinked in behind the demon, stabbing him in the back with an athame. The demon screamed as he was vanquished in a fiery blast and the rest of the crowd backed away. Bacarra nodded at his henchmen and he disappeared in a blink.

"Make no mistake, my friends." Bacarra said. "I am a generous host and I assure you this game is played fairly. You all knew what you were getting yourself into. Those who are still in the running, I wish you good luck."

Bacarra corrected his tuxedo jacket and stepped off the stage. He had anticipated the crowd could turn on him, so he had taken the necessary precautions. Nothing was going to ruin this night and nothing was going to disrupt his plans, even if he had to vanquish every demon present.

Xxx

As a drop of water fell on her face from the cavern wall, Billie Jenkins woke up and found herself wrapped in the muscular arms of Jake. For a moment she smiled contently, as last night had been amazing, though a few seconds later she realized it had been a huge mistake. They were trapped on an island, being hunted down. It was been dangerous and reckless. However, that was not even the worst part. She was a witch, he was a witch hunter, how could this possibly have a happy ending?

Billie carefully freed herself from Jake's hold and quickly got dressed. She looked at him and noticed his wounds had almost completely healed overnight. She then looked up and saw early sunlight entering the cavern and she heard her stomach growling. They were lucky to have found clean water, but she was getting hungry after a day for fighting or her life. Maybe she should get out and try to find some food.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked as she moved to the exit of the cave.

"I wanted to go find some food." Billie replied as she turned to him.

"Wait." Jake said as he got up and quickly put on his pants. "It is too dangerous to go out on your own. I'll go with you."

"Despite what happened yesterday, I can take care of myself, you know." Billie replied annoyed.

"Oh, are you upset that I had to fight for you? Does that hurt your pride?" Jake remarked with a faint smile.

"Whatever." Billie replied as she rolled her eyes. "I could have easily kicked that demon's ass."

"So is that the only thing bothering you?" Jake asked as he walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What else would there be?" Billie asked quickly as she stepped away from him.

"I don't know. You don't think we should discuss last night?" Jake asked.

"I'd rather not." Billie said determined as she turned and looked at him. "It was a spur of the moment thing, it is the whole situation messing with our heads. Let's just forget about it. And we really need to find you some new clothes."

"Why? Am I distracting?" Jake remarked as he looked down at his chest. "You did not seem to mind last night."

Billie sighed and headed out of the cavern with Jake right behind her. As she stepped out into the light, Billie suddenly noticed a metallic sphere hovering over them. Oh god, she thought mortified, had that thing been there all night? Had it recorded it all? Billie had no time to think about it, as she suddenly saw something bright flashing in the trees. She turned to Jake and screamed at him to run, though before they could move, a black arrow pierced Jake's shoulder.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 6

xxx

In the humid and tropical jungle of the island, an almost completely invisible beast crept through the bushes as a predator looking for its prey. The weight of the large beast caused clawed footprints to sink into the earth was it sniffed out its next target. The beast suddenly stopped and turned its head, focusing its glowing red eyes to the distance. A smell of blood filled the air and the Hellhound growled as it charged at its newly discovered prey.

Xxx

Billie stood frozen as she looked as Jake fell to the ground with a long black arrow piercing his shoulder. He cried out in pain and blood flowed down his chest. For a moment, Billie was uncertain of what to do and stepped toward him. Another arrow flew past her and pierced the ground she had stood not a second earlier. It brought Billie back to her senses and she quickly turned to see the Darklighter leaping out of the three and stepping toward her with an aimed crossbow.

When he fired, Billie raised her hand and telekinetically stopped the arrow in its tracks about a few inches from her hand. She turned the arrow around and shot it back, though the Darklighter avoided it by hiding behind a tree. Instead, Billie flung her arm and yanked the crossbow from him, throwing it far into the jungle.

"Guess I'll have to do this the hard way." The Darklighter remarked as he raised his hand, which started glowing red and emitted steam.

"Bring it." Billie remarked confidently.

Billie noticed a piece of wood on the ground and telekinetically flung it at her opponent. He caught it with his glowing hand, causing it to erupt in flames and snap it half. She then tried to use her power directly on the Darklighter, though he managed to resist it, only stumbling back slightly.

"It won't be that easy, witch." The Darklighter replied, revealing a red glowing talisman around his neck. "This prevents you from using your magic directly against me. I came prepared."

"Good for you." Billie replied trying to sound brave, though she was running out of ideas.

Billie tried to think. One touch and she would be dead, so she could not get close enough to take him out physically, and her powers were useless against him. As she stepped back, she looked at Jake, who had crawled against and a rock and was breathing heavily as he tried to reach the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. It gave her an idea, though it would hurt a lot. She needed to distract the Darklighter long enough.

"Just give up and I'll make it quick." The Darklighter said.

"I thought we had lost you, how did you find us?" Billie asked.

"You almost got away, but a good hunter never loses his prey." The Darklighter replied. "Once you holed up in your little cave, I knew I had you cornered. All I needed to do was wait to get the perfect shot."

"You were out here that long?" Billie asked.

"Long enough." The Darklighter replied knowingly as he continued to move closer. "I hope you enjoyed your last night."

"Oh, I did." Billie replied. "But this will almost be as satisfying."

Billie flung her arm and the Darklighter stumbled back a little. He smirked unimpressed, but it was merely a distraction. Billie held out her hand at Jake and then pointed at the Darklighter. Jake screamed in pain as the arrow in his shoulder was suddenly ripped out and flew across the air, piercing the Darklighter's chest. The Darklighter looked down in shock and fell to his knees while Billie ran over to Jake and helped him up.

"Time to move." Billie said quickly as she supported him.

As they started to get away, the Darklighter screamed angrily as he pulled the arrow from his chest and tossed it aside. Immediately after that, a deafening roar sounded through the jungle and Billie looked over her shoulder. Something use and invisible with glowing red eyes appeared out of nowhere and threw itself on the Darklighter, who screamed as he was being torn apart by invisible claws. In horror, Billie quickly turned and continued walking.

"What is going on?" A dazed Jake asked.

"Oh nothing." Billie remarked both scared and dismissive. "Let's just keep moving just in case. Fast!"

Billie continued walking as fast as she could, but the wounded Jake was really slowing her down. Behind her, the screams of the Darklighter had stopped and she heard a deep growl and heavy footsteps. The monster was coming after her, and it was getting closer. In front of her, Billie could hear water flowing violently. She made her way through the trees and arrived on the side of a huge waterfall that poured down in a violent river in a canyon below. Billie looked over her shoulder and saw two burning red eyes behind her. She knew she only had one chance. She moved closer to the edge of the canyon.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked.

"We need to jump." Billie replied. "It is the only way."

"Okay." Jake replied, though he sounded doubtful.

Behind them, the invisible beast roared and charged at her. Billie yelled at Jake to jump and leaped forward while holding his arm. As they crossed the air, Billie used her levitation to defy gravity and together they crashed against the edge of the canyon. Billie grabbed hold of the rocks as she tried to pull up. Luckily, she found a place to put her feet and crawled up. She looked over and saw Jake was barely hanging on with one arm. She reached over and managed to grab him right before he lost grip. Together, they landed on the rocky floor and gasped for air. Across the canyon, the invisible beast growled as it paced around, before finally giving up and going back into the jungle.

"I really hate this island." Jake remarked.

As she looked at Jake, Billie only nodded and smiled a little. She had enough of this island as well. It was about time to find the others and get the hell out of there, even if she had to fight every demon on this rock. Then whoever sent them there was going to pay.

Xxx

Around the same time, Duncan and Mikelle arrived at the foot of one of the mountains on the island. They had spent the night in a large tree, so they would not be found, and had started walking at the break of dawn. They were determined to find the others and had once again agreed that further inland was their best option. As they started to head up the mountain, Duncan thought back to the argument they had yesterday before the demons attacked.

"So about yesterday…" Duncan started.

"What about it?" Mikelle asked.

"I am sorry about what I said, about you not taking things seriously." Duncan replied. "I know you are always trying to help us."

"It's okay. I know I can come across as a bit indifferent at times." Mikelle admitted.

"But you're not." Duncan remarked. "You just don't show you care. Why is that?"

"It is something I learned a long time ago." Mikelle replied. "If you show you care, people will use it against you."

"So you put up a wall, so people will think they can't hurt you?" Duncan asked.

"Something like that." Mikelle replied casually as they climbed across some rocks.

"So tell me. I am your friend." Duncan said. "You know you can trust me, right?"

Mikelle stopped and sighed. "Of course I trust you and the others." She replied as she turned to him. "It is not about that. My life before becoming a Whitelighter sucked. I closed that chapter when I died. I moved on and try to forget it ever happened."

"But it is clearly still affecting you now." Duncan said.

"Can we just not talk about this?" Mikelle asked as she continued walking. "I am not interrogating you about your past, am I?"

"I don't have anything to hide anymore." Duncan replied.

"Really?" Mikelle replied. "Yesterday you said your life was not easy either. I find that hard to believe since your family is rich and all."

"You think money solves anything?" Duncan replied slightly annoyed. "I never missed out on anything, but I had other problems. Growing up, I was under constant pressure. My family cares about status and strives for perfection. I was never good enough, especially in comparison to my siblings. Of course, the real problems began when I came out. That completely ruined their expectations. A huge disappointment I turned out to be."

"So when did you tell them?" Mikelle asked.

"When I was seventeen." Duncan replied. "My mother denied it, refused to believe it. She is still in denial. My father stormed out of the room. I have not spoken to him since."

"I'm sorry. What about your siblings?" Mikelle asked.

"They are all older, they never seemed interested in me, and things changed little after I told them." Duncan admitted, it was still difficult to talk about, which was one of the reasons he was not very open about who he was.

"So how did you know? I mean, for sure?" Mikelle asked curiously.

"That is a whole other story; you have to tell me something in return." Duncan replied.

"Fine." Mikelle agreed reluctantly. "I grew up in a crappy neighborhood. My mom skipped town when I was about four, so I was left with my dad and brother. Let's just say dad did not take it well, started reaching for the bottle a lot. I learned early on that I had to take care of myself, so let's just leave it at that."

Duncan stopped. "He wasn't… you know, abusive or anything?" He asked carefully.

"No, nothing like that." Mikelle replied with a shrug. "Just neglectful. And that is all I am going to say about it. Back to your story."

"Alright, I guess I will have to settle for the cliff notes version for now." Duncan remarked. "Right, well there was this guy at Magic School. We'd been best friends for years, though it eventually started to change. One night, things started happening and one thing led to another. After that, I knew for sure."

"So what happened exactly?" Mikelle asked with a curious smirk.

"Hey, if you're not telling details, neither am I." Duncan replied with a frown.

"Alright fine, you can leave out the hot stuff." Mikelle said disappointed. "At least tell me what happened with the guy afterwards."

"He did not take it well." Duncan explained. "He had trouble accepting what he was and refused to deal with it. We hooked up a couple of times, but he eventually became distant. Eventually, he stopped being my friend and started making fun of me to hide his own insecurities."

"That sucks." Mikelle remarked. "So did you love him?"

"I don't know, I was just a kid." Duncan replied. "I think it was just a crush. I got over it."

As they continued heading up the mountain, Mikelle suddenly stopped and Duncan nearly bumped into her. He looked up and saw she was staring in the distance. He turned to see what she was looking at. In the distance, in the middle of the jungle, he spotted some kind of open space. When he looked more carefully, he saw it had structures of wood, with a large wall around it. It looked like some kind of settlement, which gave him hope.

"The others might be there." Duncan said.

"Maybe, or it is filled with demons or cannibals or something." Mikelle replied.

"I still think we need to check it out." Duncan replied.

"Alright, guess we got no choice. Without the others, we're stuck here." Mikelle agreed. "I don't like it though, I still got the feeling something could strike at any moment."

As the two of them started heading down the mountain in the opposite direction from where they came, Duncan hoped they would soon be off this island. However, he was glad that he finally got to know a little more about Mikelle, since she refused to talk about her past at any other time. He felt like he got to know her a bit better and was glad that at least something good came out of this. Now all they needed to do was survive.

Xxx

When Violet wake up, she stretched out as she sat up. Through the wood of the hut, she could see some sunlight, meaning it was morning already. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Arthur was still sitting near the entrance with the spear in his hands. He looked tired and yawned. While she had slept, he had watched over her all night. It had made her feel safe and secure, though now she was also a little frustrated.

"You were supposed to wake me, we were supposed to take shifts." Violet remarked.

"You just looked so peaceful sleeping." Arthur replied.

"That is not the point." Violet replied. "You have not slept all night, you're exhausted. That was really irresponsible."

"I am sorry. I just could not wake you." Arthur said. "I wanted to let you rest. Besides, you were mumbling in your sleep, it was really cute."

"What?!" Violet called out embarrassed. "What did I say?"

"That is not important." Arthur replied with a smile. "We should get moving. Who knows what is going on out there."

Arthur opened the entrance to the hut and crawled out. Violet wondered what she could have said and hoped it wasn't something about how she liked him, because that would be so awkward. She crawled out of the hut and accepted the hand Arthur offered to help her to her feet.

"So what is the plan?" Violet asked.

"Well, I am starving, and I figured the demons that once lived here had to eat something, right?" Arthur replied. "Let's look around."

"Okay, but after that we really need to find the others." Violet agreed.

As they searched the settlement, Violet could not help but think about all that had happened between them. She knew she needed to act on her feelings at some point. And figured how they could get killed at any moment, she knew there was no better time than the present.

"So I was wondering." Violet started. "I know this might be a weird time to talk about this, but…"

Before Violet could continue, she heard something. She turned to Arthur and saw he had heard as well. He pulled her behind a fence and they waited as they looked at the entrance. At that moment, she saw a person wielding a crossbow enter and gasped, believing it to be another demon hunting them. She turned away, however, Arthur seemed to smile. Violet then took a closer look and saw it was Duncan wielding the crossbow, with Mikelle right behind him as they snuck into the settlement. She was so relieved to see them, though their timing was horrible.

"Duncan, Mikelle!" Violet called out as she jumped up.

"Violet!" Duncan replied as he lowered his crossbow and it disappeared. They walked over and hugged, both relieved the other was alright. Meanwhile, Arthur and Mikelle joined them and they all greeted each other. Her friends seemed surprised by Arthur's presence, so she quickly informed them of what she remembered from the alley and how he got there.

"I was so worried about you." Violet said. "Have you seen Billie?"

"No, you two are the first friendly faces we've seen." Duncan replied. "Have you seen her?"

"Not in person." Violet replied. "I was her in a premonition with Jake, the hunter. She was being held here, but she managed to escape."

"The Witch Hunter?" Duncan asked confused. "Oh wait, now I remember him being there in the alley."

"Are you sure he is not involved in this?" Mikelle asked.

"We don't think so. They were working together." Arthur replied. "How much do you know about what is going on?"

Violet and Arthur filled the others in on all that had happened and all they learned, while Duncan and Mikelle did the same. They all agreed that this had to be some twisted game, though none of them really knew who was behind it or how they could get out. They then decided they needed a plan.

"Sounds like our biggest concern right now is this Hellhound." Duncan concluded. "We have heard strange noises, though we have not seen it yet. We need to find Billie."

"I know, but this island is huge, we lucky to have found you." Violet replied.

"But now that we're all here, you could try the locator spell again." Arthur reminded her.

"Of course." Violet said excited, wondering why she had not thought about that herself.

Violet quickly explained the spell and what had happened the first time she had cast it. She then closed her eyes as she tried to remember the spell exactly how she cast it the first time.

"_Whether far or whether near,_

_Take me to those I hold dear_

_Let the light show me the way,_

_So I remain no longer astray._"

Four colourful orbs appeared from her heart and three of them instantly swirled around the others before disappearing. Duncan frowned when he noticed the green orb hovering around Arthur and he and Mikelle exchanged meaningful looks which Violet tried to ignore. The forth red orb playfully hovered around in the air and then shot out of the settlement, on its way to find Billie. In a hurry, the foursome ran after it back into the jungle.

Xxx

In the luxurious penthouse, Bacarra slammed his glass on the bar and the glass shattered. It was too soon for the witches to find each other. They were supposed to be torn to shreds by his little pet already. However, the dumb beast had lost the trail of the witches and had instead hunted down the remaining contestants. Now only the witches and the Hellhound remained.

Bacarra smirked when he realized at least one part of the plan had worked, since all demons that had placed bets were now in debt to him. However, it would all be useless if he failed to kill the witches.

Bacarra ordered his minions to start collecting the debts of his guests. At the same time, the warlock reached into his pocket and revealed something that looked like a camera. It was time to send the witches a message and end these little games. He would ensure that they would not survive the island, by any means necessary.

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 7

Xxx

With renewed determination to get off the island, Billie and Jake made their way through the jungle. Luckily, they had managed to find some of the blue berries and had treated Jake's shoulder. She had torn some fabric from her tank top to bandage his wound, leaving her midriff exposed. Billie was impressed at his strength, since he had been beaten up and shot with a crossbow since they got here, but he kept going as if nothing hurt him. She wondered if it was just admiration or something more, since she could not get last night out of her mind. She did not regret what happened, but it was complicated to say the least, and she had no idea where to go from here. She needed to think about something else, they were still in danger after all. Her eyes suddenly fell on his ring when the sunlight was reflected by the green stone.

"How does that work exactly?" Billie asked as she pointed at the ring.

"I don't know, it has been in my family for generations." Jake replied.

"It weakens magic used against you, like when I tried to use telekinesis on you." Billie recalled. "Does it protect you from physical harm as well? Any other mortal could have died from the beating you took."

"Not as far as I know. I have been injured more times than I can count." Jake replied. "As far as I know, it only grants me resistance to magical powers when used directly against me."

"I could have sworn I saw it glow when the swarm demon was beating you." Billie said.

"Must have been the light reflecting." Jake said. "I survived that fight because I have been trained in combat my entire life, and of course with a little help from you."

"If you say so." Billie replied doubtfully.

Billie decided to forget the issue and move on. As she walked past Jake, he suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her close to him. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but as he dragged her to a tree, she realized he had seen something. It made her feel silly for thinking otherwise. She looked over her shoulder and saw one of those metallic spheres hovering around.

The metallic sphere hovered around in the air and a red light started burning. A red light was cast over the jungle floor and a red holographic image appeared. A tall brown-haired man in a tuxedo appeared.

"I know you are there." The man remarked.

Billie tried to step forward, but Jake stopped her. She gave him an angry look and pulled her arm free. It was just a hologram, nothing dangerous. She wanted answers and she was to get them. She stepped out from behind the tree and faced the hologram. Jake shook his head annoyed and followed her.

"Miss Jenkins." The hologram said.

"You must be the game master of this sick game." Billie said annoyed as she crossed her arms. "Got a name?"

"It wouldn't hurt to tell you." The hologram replied. "Bacarra, a member of the Brotherhood."

"Of course the Brotherhood is behind this." Billie remarked. "Haven't we vanquished enough of your members already? Or is that the reason we're here?"

"You have become quite the problem, yes." Bacarra replied.

"So you trapped us on an island and sent your little demons after us." Billie said. "For fun?"

"Fun is definitely a part of it." Bacarra replied. "But mostly I just wanted you dead without getting my hands dirty. Plus I have made quite a profit with all the betting. Congratulations by the way, the two of you have made the games quite, how shall I put it, steamy."

"Oh god." Billie replied disgusted, knowing he was referring to last night.

"I've had enough of this. We've defeated everything you've sent after us." Jake called out angrily. "We've won, let us out."

"Won?" Bacarra replied laughing. "The games are far from over. Or have you forgotten about my little pet?"

"You sent that thing after us?" Billie asked. "What the hell is it?"

"Something quite literally from hell." Bacarra replied. "A Hellhound to be precise. Quite a feisty beast, as you have seen by the blood trail it left in the city."

"You unleashed the Hellhound in order to lure us into a trap and send us here." Jake concluded. "How come we don't remember what happened?"

"It is quite simple, you all followed the Hellhound and set one of my traps in motion." Bacarra explained. "A little sleeping spell combined with a memory loss spell. I needed you to be well-rested and clueless for the games."

"But Hellhounds have been extinct for centuries." Billie said, remembering reading it in a book once. "How did you bring one here?"

"That was actually pretty complicated." Bacarra replied. "I had to travel all the way to that dreaded desert to retrieve their bones before I could use a spell to bring them back, completely under my control of course."

"You're quite the spell caster." Billie remarked.

"It is my specialty." Bacarra said proudly. "I know spells you witches can only dream of."

"Alright, we've heard enough." Jake said annoyed. "What do we have to do to get off this rock?"

"Please, even if you manage to defeat my little pet, you did not really think you'd get off the island, did you?" Bacarra replied. "There are spells in place that cut you off from the rest of the world completely. Either the Hellhound kills you or the island will."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Billie asked.

"A little failsafe I installed." Bacarra explained. "All the spells I placed around the island, they are not going to hold forever. Eventually, they will start to crash down, which will cause the island to become unstable and sink to the ocean floor. Taking all of you with it."

"You bastard." Billie snapped at him. "How do we stop it?"

"You can't, unless you manage to find the source of the spells." Bacarra replied with a smirk. "Which is hidden away safely in the heart of the island. But you will never get there in time. My hellhound is hunting and has picked up your trail. It was fun while it lasted, but all games must end one way or another."

Bacarra laughed and the hologram disappeared. The metallic sphere started circling and then disappeared through the trees.

"We need to get to the heart of the island." Billie said as she turned to Jake.

"It is obviously a trap." Jake replied.

"I know, but we can't run around in circles anymore." Billie remarked.

"That is not the only problem." Jake said.

Billie looked back at Jake saw him pointing at his shoulder. The skin around his wound had swollen and had turned dark red. Jake wiped his head, he was sweating intensely. Billie walked over to him and touched his forehead, which felt like it was burning. He was getting a fever.

"But Darklighter poison is not lethal to mortals." Billie said confused.

"No, but a wound like this can easily cause an infection in this jungle." Jake replied. "I don't think I have very long."

Billie instantly realized there was still a way to save him. "Mikelle." she concluded. "She can still heal you if we find her."

"What about the heart of the island?" Jake asked.

"We'll need to find a way to meet the others there." Billie replied.

At that moment, a red orb hovered between the trees and started circling around Billie. She held out her hand and it hovered down. Somehow, she knew it was sent by her friends, like she could sense it. It was the perfect solution. She closed her hands around the orb and quickly whispered a spell. The orb changed to a silvery white color as she let it go. It hovered around and then disappeared in the direction it came from.

"What did you do?" Jake asked confused.

"I showed them where to meet us." Billie replied. "The heart of the island can only mean one thing. We need to find the exact center. Come on."

Billie offered to help Jake and he reluctantly took her arm and leaned on her. The infected was spreading fast and he was growing weaker quickly. They needed to hurry. As they started to move, a terrifying howl echoed through the jungle.

Xxx

Violet and the others rushed through the jungle, though the red orb had long disappeared from their sight and she realized they were running blind. Hopefully, they were still going in the right direction. When a terrifying howl sounded through the jungle, Violet froze. The Hellhound was close. She turned to the others to keep quiet.

"We're going to lose the orb." Duncan said.

"It's already long gone." Mikelle replied. "That thing was way too fast, especially since we had to circle around more of that quicksand."

"Great, so now what?" Duncan called out.

"Keep it down." Violet replied.

"What is that?" Arthur asked as he stared in the distance.

Violet turned around and saw a bright silvery light heading their way. When it started circling around them, she noticed it was an orb like the one created by her spell. It had to be a message from Billie. She held out her hand and the orb landed on it. Immediately, images flashed through her mind along with Billie's voice whispering. When the images ended, the orb dissolved.

"What just happened?" Duncan asked.

"Billie sent us a message." Violet said. "We need to get to the heart of the island, before the entire island sinks into the ocean. She will meet us there and explain. And we need to hurry."

"How is this not a trap?" Mikelle remarked sarcastically.

"I think it is, but what choice do we have?" Violet replied. "I saw something else. Jake is hurt, and he needs healing fast. Billie is desperate."

"Alright, guess we don't have a choice then." Duncan said.

"The heart of the island." Arthur said. "Do they just mean the center of the island?"

"Billie believes so." Violet replied. "Either way, we have to meet her there."

"Okay, so how do we get to the center of the island?" Mikelle asked.

"When we were on the mountain, the settlement was south." Duncan replied as he pointed around. "And I remember seeing the river going through the middle of the island. So if we head north, we should run into the river, if we go upstream, we should reach the heart."

"Sounds about right." Arthur nodded. "Let's go."

The foursome started running in the direction Duncan and Arthur had agreed upon. As they ran, Violet remembered something else the orb had shown her. The Hellhound was after Billie and Jake, which meant they were running directly at it while it pursued them. She had seen firsthand what the beast could do, and the thought of facing it caused her hands to tremble. She desperately hoped that Billie and Jake could outrun it, and that they could find a way to vanquish it.

xxx

While still supporting Jake, who was growing increasingly weaker, Billie ran through the jungle. She heard the monstrous Hellhound closing in behind her, so she regularly flung her arm backward to telekinetically block its path by throwing over trees and bushes. However, it seemed to make little difference. In the distance, Billie could hear the wild stream of the river and the crashing of a waterfall. Suddenly, the jungle ended and they reached a clearing. Billie stopped and gasped as she looked at the view before her.

In the center of the island there were the ruins of buildings, an ancient looking town with stone walls covered in strange markings. A river flowed through the town and ended in a waterfall crashing down a canyon. Billie could barely believe her eyes, as she could not imagine something like this on the island. She wondered who built it and what happened to them. It looked like it had been in ruins for centuries. When Billie heard a growl, she realized she did not have time to admire the view. She ran past the clearing and headed into the ruins.

"I can't go anymore." Jake whispered weakly.

"We have to keep going." Billie replied.

"Leave me behind." Jake said. "I can't fight, so you'll have a better chance without me."

"No." Billie said defiantly. "Are you insane? I am not leaving you to be shredded."

"So you do care." Jake remarked with a smile.

"Don't get any ideas." Billie replied annoyed. "Alright, you hide. I will distract the beast and lead it away from you."

"Never thought I'd be rescued by a witch." Jake said.

"Well, perhaps you'll be a little more thankful after I get you out of here." Billie replied. "Perhaps you might actually start to like witches."

"We'll see." Jake remarked dryly.

Billie reached a small building and headed inside through a destroyed wall. She dragged Jake across the room and let him drop down on the floor in the corner. He groaned in pain as his shoulder hit the wall. As she looked at him, he stared back at her before his eyes shut. She could not deny her feelings for him any longer, so she leaned in and kissed him passionately. He returned her kiss, though he seemed to be far away and half asleep. Billie stopped and stood up.

"Why did you do that?" Jake asked.

"Just a kiss for good luck." Billie lied. "Stay alive."

"You too." Jake replied.

Billie turned and ran out of the building without looking back. As she ran through the ruins, she heard the Hellhound growl and turned around. In the street ahead, she saw two glowing eyes staring at her. All she needed to do was get it away from Jake.

"Over here, you ugly mutt!" Billie yelled.

Billie flung her arm and threw a small boulder at the hound. It howled in pain at it was hit, though it shook it off and charged at her with a furious howl. Billie smirked and started running through the ruins. She looked around for anything that could help her, though there was nothing around her but ancient stone. She levitated up onto a building and looked back. The Hellhound leaped up, but could not reach her. However, it then disappeared in a shimmer and reappeared on the roof.

"Oh crap." Billie called out.

Billie started running again and leaped from building to building with the Hellhound on her trail. It was catching up and she could feel its claws lashing out at her. However, it was not her only problem as she was running out of buildings.

When Billie heard screaming, she looked up and saw her friends running at the ruins. She felt incredible relieved, though that feeling only lasted a moment. As she tried to jump to another building, she underestimated the distance and fell, barely able to grab the ledge. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Hellhound launching itself at her.

Xxx

As they ran onto the clearing, Violet was amazed by the ruins before her for a moment, though her attention was soon drawn elsewhere when the others screamed. She looked over and saw Billie running across the roofs of the ruins. It look her a moment, but she also saw the vague outline and red burning eyes of the Hellhound right behind her. She stopped for a moment, but Arthur grabbed her arm and kept her running to the ruins.

Violet screamed when she saw Billie fall and the Hellhound leaping at her. However, in a split second Billie swung aside and leaped off the building, causing the Hellhound to crash against the wall instead of getting its claws in her. The building collapsed and caused a cloud of dust to spread. For a moment Violet worried, but she smiled when Billie emerged from the dust.

"You're okay!" Violet called out as she ran over and hugged her best friend.

"Yeah, I am fine." Billie replied. "And I am glad you're all safe as well, but I really need your help. Mikelle, Jake is dying from an infection, you need to heal him."

"Where is he?" Mikelle asked.

"In a ruin, he could not run, so I made him hide." Billie replied as she turned around and started walking. "Come on, I'll show you."

Billie started running toward some of the buildings and the others followed. Suddenly Violet saw two red eyes emerging from the dust cloud and instinctively grabbed Arthur's arm while raising the other. The world seemed to slow down to a slow motion effect. She saw the Hellhound jumping out of the dust at Billie, though it completely stopped moving mid-air. Meanwhile, Billie and the others also froze, but for some reason, Arthur did not.

"You did it again." Arthur said surprised. "You have a new power."

"But how? Why?" Violet asked confused. "And why are you not frozen?"

"Perhaps it is because you were touching me." Arthur replied. "But I don't get it, good witches cannot be frozen, so whatever this new power is, it is not molecular based."

"So what could it be?" Violet asked.

"I have a theory." Arthur said as he looked over his shoulder at the frozen waterfall. "I think you can stop time itself. It is an incredibly rare and powerful ability. I have never heard of a witch possessing it, but what else could it be?"

"I can stop time?" Violet asked shocked. "How is that possible?"

"All powers are connected." Arthur replied. "With your premonitions, you can see through time. Now you can stop time itself."

"Alright." Violet said after a moment of processing as she looked at the frozen scene around her. "So what now?"

"Good question." Arthur replied. "But at least we got time to figure it out."

"I am not so sure." Violet replied doubtfully as she looked in the distance.

Arthur gave her a confused look and Violet pointed in the distance. While everything around them was frozen, her power only seemed to reach so far. While time was frozen in a small area, the island around them was still very much alive. Lightning started to flash around them and the air rippled. Suddenly something broke in the sky, like a massive dome that was shattered, followed by a flash of light. There was a tremble in the earth and Violet realized what was happened. The island was going to sink into the ocean soon.

xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Chosen Chapter 5: Witch Wars, Survivor Island

Part 8

Xxx

Violet took a deep sigh and focused her thoughts. She remembered the things Arthur had just told her. It was her power, which meant she could control it. She would not have gotten it if she could not. She just needed to trust in that and in herself. But with the island around them falling apart and the Hellhound about to tear them to pieces, she just could not calm down enough to actually focus.

"It is useless!" Violet called out as she flung her arms in the air.

"No it is not." Arthur said as he took her arms and held her hands. "You can do this. Just trust in yourself. Trust yourself like I trust you. I know you can do this, because you are amazing."

Violet could not help but form a little smile, despite the situation they were in. All her life she had dealt with insecurities, so to hear his words felt special. It made her feel special and confident. By focusing on Arthur, she was able to calm down and focus. While he still held her hand, Violet placed her hand on Billie's shoulder and unfroze her.

"What is going on?!" Billie asked confused as she looked at the disaster around her. "What happened?"

"New power, no time to explain." Violet replied as she walked over to unfreeze Duncan and Mikelle as well, who were equally confused. "The island is falling apart."

"Then we need to get off this island fast." Duncan said. "Were we just frozen?"

"Not without Jake." Billie demanded, ignoring Duncan's question.

"First we need to get rid of that ugly thing." Mikelle remarked as she pointed at the still frozen Hellhound. "If it unfreezes we're all doomed."

"It is presumed extinct, there is no known vanquish." Duncan replied.

"We don't need a known vanquish." Billie replied. "We're a collective, remember. Now that we're together, we can tap into that power and vanquish it, like we did with Arcon."

"I hope you're right." Duncan said.

The Chosen joined hands and faced the Hellhound with its glowing red eyes. They then started to chant the spell they had used once before and repeated it three times.

"_The Chosen call, collective power_

_Vanquish this evil within this hour."_

The Hellhound unfroze and fell on the ground. It suddenly cried out in pain and its invisible form was engulfed by fire, revealing a large hound-like shape about the size of a bear. As it growled and screeched in pain, it was vanquished in a fiery blast.

"That solves one problem." Mikelle remarked.

"We need to get to Jake." Billie said. "Violet, Mikelle. I need you to unfreeze and heal quickly. Guys, try to find a way off this damned island."

Duncan and Arthur nodded while Billie grabbed Violet by the arm and started running through the ruins, with Mikelle right behind them. The entire island was trembling and the lightning caused a fire to erupt in the jungle. They rushed through the ruins until Billie suddenly stopped and dragged her in a building. Jake was lying on the floor. Violet did not need to unfreeze him since her power had not reached this far, though the hunter seemed too quiet. Billie threw herself at him and started calling out his name while shaking him, though here was no response.

Mikelle quickly kneeled down and started healing him while Billie held him with tears running down her face. Violet sensed that Billie truly cared about him, perhaps even more than she was willing to admit to herself. She hoped for her sake that Jake would be alright.

Xxx

When another fissure caused the island to tremble, Duncan barely managed to hold his balance. Meanwhile, the lightning continued in the distance and the wind increased, causing the fires in the jungle to spread. They needed a way off this island, but the supposed heart of the island provided no answers, only ruins. Duncan looked over at Arthur and saw he was studying the buildings carefully.

"What are you doing?" Duncan asked.

"The architecture here." Arthur remarked while studying symbols on the wall. "These ruins are ancient. I have only ever seen it before on scrolls. Whatever culture built this city, they are at least as old as the cities of Atlantis and Zanbar, perhaps even connected to them."

"Fascinating, but we need to get out of here before we all die." Duncan remarked slightly annoyed at the teacher, it was not the time for a history lesson.

Duncan looked around desperately and suddenly noticed one of the metallic spheres hovering above them. Annoyed, he conjured his crossbow and shot it down though as it hit the ground, he suddenly got an idea. He ran over to the sphere and picked it up. The red light was still burning.

"What is going on?" Arthur asked.

"These things are everywhere on the island." Duncan said. "They were not just following us, but the hunters as well. They can send footage to the one who put us here, so perhaps it can send us there as well. I mean, how else did the hunters get here without teleporting?"

"I guess, but how to we activate it?" Arthur asked.

"I think I know a spell that can help." Duncan said. "We just need the others to get back."

There was another fissure and a large crack appeared in the earth, swallowing a few ruins. At the same time, Billie and the others appeared from the ruins. Dunan noticed Jake was with them, so they had managed to heal him. He felt a mixture of relief and concern, he had not forgotten what happened when he was turned into a Wendigo and he did not trust the witch hunter. However, he could see Billie was very relieved and ignored his own concerns for her sake.

"Have you found a way off the island?" Billie asked as they reached him.

"I think so." Duncan said as he held up the sphere. "If I am right, this will take right straight to the one responsible for all of this, so we have to be ready."

The island rumbled and more ruins around them started to collapse. "We don't have time!" Billie yelled. "Just do it."

Duncan nodded and held out the sphere. He remembered an old spell he had learned in Magic School and figured it could work with a small addition. It was a general spell used to clear objects which had been enchanted as a prank by students.

"_This object once enchanted,_

_Reverse now the magic granted,_

_Open the path from whence you came,_

_Let us end this wicked game_."

The sphere sent of a beam of red light into the ground which opened a magical portal of swirling red energy, large enough to fit through. They just had no way of knowing where it led.

"It worked!" Violet called out happily.

"Don't get too excited, it is not over yet." Billie replied. "Who knows what is waiting?"

"We need to hurry. I don't know how long it will stay open." Duncan said as the ground shook violently. "Or how long this island will still be here for that matter."

"Alright, let's go." Billie said determined.

Without waiting for the others, Billie ran forward and jumped through the portal. Mikelle then followed behind her, and Arthur and Violet went right after her. Jake seemed to hesitate, but Duncan told him to hurry. Since he was holding the sphere, he had to go last. Jake nodded and went into the portal. Duncan took one last look around the island and then ran into the portal, letting the sphere fall on the ground as it closed behind him.

The island trembled as more cracks appeared in the ground and the entire island started to sink, causing sea water to rise up from the cracks. As lightning continued to strike all around and fire consumed the jungle, the island was swallowed whole by the sea. The storm settled and the sea became calm once more, as if nothing had ever happened. The island was gone.

Xxx

In the luxurious penthouse apartment, all the TV screens went black as the island was destroyed and the flaming athame appeared. All demons fells silent and looked at each other confused. Suddenly, a portal of swirling red energy opened and one by one, the witches and their friends appeared. When all six had appeared, the portal closed. Billie looked around the room filled by demons. Her eyes met Jake's and she felt relieved that he was alive.

_In the ruin, Billie kneeled down at Jake's side and started yelling his name while shaking him. When there was no response, Billie feared the worst. Mikelle kneeled down and started healing him while Billie looked on with tears running down her face. Please, she begged in silence. After all they had been through, it could not end like this. She was not even sure how she truly felt about him. She needed more time. _

_Suddenly, there was a gasp and Jake shot up. He was alive, Billie realized and she quickly wiped away her tears. She did not want him to see her crying over him. Jake looked at her and smirked._

"_A kiss for good luck, huh?" Jake remarked with a raised eyebrow._

"_Oh, shut up." Billie replied with a smile. "It worked didn't it?"_

Back in the present, Billie stood ready to attack the demons, but they all remained sitting and standing where they were. There was a silence in the room, which was suddenly broken by a slow clapping. Billie looked over at the bar and saw Bacarra standing up and walked over to them.

"Very impressive." Bacarra said. "Quite a show."

"You're going to pay for this." Billie replied, though she realized her threat held little meaning in a room full of demons. She needed a way out, and all she could think of was bluffing. She cleared her throat and raised her voice. "Listen up. You've seen what we can do, you know what we're capable of. I have had a really long day and I am tired and generally pissed off, so I am giving you this one opportunity to get the hell out before we vanquish every single one of you."

As she made her speech, Billie looked around the room and her eyes fell on a female demon with short black hair in a fiery red dress. She looked rather intimidated, but she did her best not to show it. She gracefully stood up and corrected her dress.

"I am not getting vanquished over this." The demon announced and she disappeared in bright red flames.

Several demons started to whisper among themselves and slowly but surely, all of them teleported away. A female demon in a silver dressed glared at Billie from the bar, before she disappeared in a shimmer, leaving only Bacarra and his few minions. Billie was content with her bluff and could not help but smile as she winked at her friends.

"You've become quite the actress, Miss Jenkins." Bacarra said.

"I didn't want them to get in the way when I vanquished your ass." Billie replied.

"I don't think so." Bacarra said. "You really think that after all the preparations I went through, I did not prepare for this?"

Bacarra snapped his finger and something shimmered in the air in front of him. Burning red eyes appeared out of nowhere and Billie took a step back as something growled. It was another Hellhound, and it was even bigger than the last.

"After all the trouble I went through, did you really think I would resurrect only one Hellhound?" Bacarra remarked with a smug face. "Now I am not unreasonable. I know when to cut my losses, so let's just call this little adventure a tie, shall we?"

"What makes you think we can't vanquish your little pet like we did the last?" Billie asked defiantly.

"Perhaps you could." Bacarra replied. "But this is a rather small space compared to the island. You might be able to vanquish my pet, but not before it takes a few of you with it."

Billie exchanged looks with her friends and all seemed concerned that what Bacarra said was true. Billie herself also realized that they would not come out of this unscathed. They had little choice. Bacarra saw the look on her face and knew he had won. Another warlock appeared next to him in a blink, a young and unshaved man dressed in casual clothes in contrast to Bacarra's tuxedo.

"Rickon, we're leaving." Bacarra said. "Make sure we don't leave any of the profit behind."

"You got it, boss." The warlock Rickon replied before blinking out.

"Well, guess I'll be seeing you in the near future." Bacarra said as he held out his hands. "Don't feel bad, we all got something out of this, right?"

Bacarra smirked and disappeared in a blink. The Hellhound growled and shimmered after him. The remaining minions that were left behind all panicked and quickly disappeared as well. When all were gone, Billie let out a sigh of relief and disappointment. They had escaped with their lives, but she could not help but feel it had all been for nothing. Meanwhile, Jake walked over to a table and picked up a jacket one of the demons had left behind.

"So what now?" Jake asked as he put on the jacket.

"I don't know about you, but I could really use a hot shower and a decent meal." Mikelle remarked.

"We can't actually leave things like this, can we?" Duncan asked.

"I don't see how we have any other choice." Billie replied. "Bacarra was right, we could not have beaten that thing without someone getting hurt or worse."

"Maybe we could have, if I could control this new power." Violet said disappointed as she looked at her hands.

"Don't blamed yourself, mastering a power takes time." Arthur said. "Especially something as powerful as stopping time."

"Wait, stopping time?" Duncan asked confused.

"We can talk about that later, let's just get out of here." Billie said.

Everyone nodded in agreement and Billie noticed they all looked as worn down and tired as she felt. She did not even want to think about how she looked. Everyone headed toward the elevator and got in, though before Billie did, she noticed Jake had remained behind. She told her friends she would take the next one and turned back to Jake.

"What is going on?" Billie asked.

"I just need some time to think about all of this." Jake replied without looking at her.

"All of this, or us?" Billie asked in a confronting manner.

"Both, I guess." Jake replied as he turned to face her. "I am not sure what is going on between us, but I know it can never end well. And I am not sure if this is real or just some adrenaline thing, heat of the moment or whatever."

"I know what you mean, but you cannot deny there is something between us." Billie replied.

"I know, that is the part that scares me." Jake replied coldly.

Before Billie could think of something to say back, Jake walked past her and disappeared into the stairway. Billie needed a minute to catch her breath. She worried about the same things as Jake, but his cold dismissal had thrown her of guard. Once again, she wondered if she was setting herself up to get hurt. She needed time to think as well. Billie stepped into the elevator and leaned against the wall as the doors closed before her.

xxx

The End


End file.
